


Between the Lines

by jadetea



Series: Between the Lines [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2018-12-18 13:04:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 55,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11875107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadetea/pseuds/jadetea
Summary: Four adventurers meet under strange circumstances and unite to investigate a murderous plot. However, they find themselves entangled in a larger scheme, and must continue their search for answers while being targeted by a nefarious cult.---Blake figured she’d had her share of strange life experiences.She was very,verywrong.She was somehow on friendly terms with a Schnee, and her expectations of the world have been flipped so terribly it wouldn’t surprise her if Ruby was able to pull a city out of her ass and then stare at her like she was the strange one.Also, she met a crazy woman who gave exactlyzeroshits about being set on fire, as shown by her unflinching charge into a circle of casting mages and continued fightingdespite being on fire.





	1. A Chance Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a fantasy/DnD inspired AU based on a campaign I’m currently running. While I originally intended the campaign to be a quick one-shot, it spiraled into me building an entire world for my PCs to dick around in. 
> 
> Seriously, I made a hex map and wrote kingdom backgrounds and everything! 
> 
> In any case, I thought it would be cool to plop RWBY into my fantasy world and see how they approach the issues my PCs have faced.
> 
> I moved the original first chapter (a character and world reference) to its own work.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A princess, a brute, an artificer and a ninja all walk into a bar...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [UPDATE 9/4/18]  
> I am currently in the process of revising and writing BtL. No promises, but I'm hoping cleaning up what I've already got will help motivate me to keep writing.

“Zwei! Don’t be so lazy, the town is just up ahead!”

A short figure in a red cloak admonished her pack animal. The black and white horse snorted in protest, huffing as he walked even slower.

“I’m sorry I ate the last apple, okay? We can get some more once we reach a nice town! Just move your butt faster so we can find somewhere to sleep before it gets dark!” The cloaked figure was now behind her horse, attempting to push his rear.

“Ruby, let him sulk. I'm sure he doesn't want any fresh hay or water they've got in town. We’ll just keep walking reaaaaallly slowly,” said a taller figure walking alongside the other two, “You’re not hungry at all, are ya big boy?”

The tall, blonde figure reached out to pat the horse’s rump, then slid her brown hood down slightly to wink at her sister.

At the sound of “hay” and “water”, Zwei’s pace picked up considerably, much to Ruby’s relief.

“I don't get why he listens to you more, Yang,” Ruby pouted, “Maybe I should just build my own Zwei. A Drei? I’m sure it would listen to me better!”

Yang chuckled at her sister and gave her a hearty pat on the back, “I just know how to talk to big babies—like you!”

“Yang!” Ruby’s pouting intensified, “I'm not a baby! Can babies do _this_?”

Ruby pulled out a slim rod from under her cloak, brandishing it with one arm as it grew into a large battle axe.

“See? I’m not a—ack!” Ruby tipped over to one side as the axe became too heavy for her to hold up, “Ah! Okay, wait, wrong form!”

The oversized axe shifted into a smaller—though still large—scythe, which Ruby brandished with both hands.

“Ho ho! I am no baby, I am a mighty—ow! Yang!!”

Ruby’s speech was interrupted by a flick to her nose.

“Alright, I get it, you’ve got a magic stick under your cloak, I’m sure all the ladies are impressed,“ Yang smirked at Ruby’s blush, “But put it away before you scare someone. I’m sure no one in this backwater place has seen a _mighty_ weapon like yours, might make ‘em run away.”

Unsure if she was being complimented or teased—probably both, knowing Yang—Ruby mentally focused on Crescent Rose, willing her to shrink to her usual form, then tucked the rod in her holster at her back. They were indeed quite close to the town, a trading outpost if the maps they bought a few stops ago was correct. It didn't look like much, but as long as there was somewhere to sleep, Ruby didn't really care.

The sisters spotted the town tavern quickly and tied Zwei up outside near the water troughs. Ruby gave Zwei one last pat before following her sister into the tavern.

* * *

Blake had been wandering for days, unsure of what direction to go. She had a decent amount of coin from her last bounty, but no real drive to go anywhere or pursue anything.

The last village she passed through only knew about a large city to the north, which wasn’t really worse than any other direction, she supposed. However, she hadn't asked how far exactly the city was, and she’d been traveling north for two days without seeing any sign of civilization.

This _might_ have been her fault since she preferred to avoid the main road. Roads and trails were good if you were driving a cart or didn't want to get lost, but they were also good for setting up bandit ambushes—something she didn't feel like dealing with at the moment.

She almost decided to try and head back to the village she left when she spotted a light in the distance. She stopped moving and focused on the sight: it wasn't the city she had been told about, but it was a large enough settlement to have some torches hanging at its border.

The town ahead didn't seem too far at all, perhaps another hour or two of travel—less if she hurried. She could probably make it there before dark and find somewhere to stay for the night.

Blake turned her focus away from the town ahead and concentrated on herself. Her form shifted from humanoid to a large panther, and she took off toward the town ahead.

* * *

“What do you _mean_ you don't have any rooms for the night!?” screeched a petite figure in a blue cloak, “There weren't any horses or wagons outside when I came here, and there are only _two_ people in this poor excuse for a tavern!”

The man behind the counter rubbed his hands together anxiously, “I’m sorry miss, I don’t have anything for you here if you could please just le—”

“Aw, are you serious old man?” came a booming voice from the doorway, “I promised my horse some hay and water, but on top of that I promised my own butt a bed to sleep in and you'd better make it happen!”

The innkeeper shrank under the glares of two angry women, glancing around nervously, “Look, why don't we just settle down and I’ll find something for you okay? Just please wait outside for a—”

“Oh hell no, I know that trick! I’m not going to go outside and let you slam the door on me,” Yang glared at the man before turning to the woman next to her, “We’re staying here, right, pint size?“

“... _Excuse_ me? I am not—”

“Yang, did you get stuff for Zwei yet? He’s doing that snorting thing he does when he’s cranky”

“—'pint size’ and you will not refer to me as such! Ugh, another one of you?”

“Yang, we’ve only been here like two minutes, why is there already yelling?“ Ruby turned to the innkeeper and continued, “I’m sorry about my this, Mister. Here’s some coin, could we get a round for the three of us?”

The man leaped onto the momentary silence, snatching the coin from Ruby’s hand, “Ah! Of course! Just a moment!” and disappeared into the back room.

After the man left, Ruby turned to the other woman, “Again, I’m sorry about my sister. She means well, I promise! I’m Ruby, and this is my big sis Yang!”

The woman raised a brow at Ruby’s greeting, “Weiss Schnee. I would say it's been a pleasure, but I don't think she’s worth the effort of lying.”

Weiss walked off towards the empty tables in the tavern, leaving behind a gobsmacked Ruby and an increasingly furious Yang.

“Well, I always thought the Schnees were all born with crystals shoved up their ass,” said a dark figure in the doorway, “Glad to know I was right.”

The figure turned to the sisters and continued, “I came here after the shouting died down, do you know where the owner is?”

Yang face instantly shifted into a flirtatious smirk, “He just went in the back, but I’m sure he would mind if we shared a room, Miss…?

“Blake,” the figure responded with a wry chuckle, “And thank you, but no th—”

Blake cut herself off and furrowed her brow. She looked up at the ceiling and second-floor balcony and continued in a low voice, “Did he mention there were a dozen men upstairs?”

“No…?” said Ruby, who started reaching for Crescent Rose.

“There’s something wrong here.”

Not an instant later, a dozen leather-clad men dropped from the balcony onto the first floor, while another handful burst in from each entrance to the room.

One figure, dressed in mage robes, pointed his finger into the dining room, “Take him out!”


	2. Bar Room Brawl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roll for initiative!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Weiss got the short (heh) end of the stick last chapter, so we’ll see a little more from her perspective here!
> 
> [EDIT 9/4/18]  
> Updated with minor revisions

 

 

_“There’s something wrong here.”_

_Not an instant later, a dozen leather-clad men dropped from the balcony onto the first floor, while another handful burst in from each entrance to the room._

_One figure, dressed in mage robes, pointed his finger into the dining room, “Take him out!”_

* * *

Weiss Schnee was _not_ having a good day. She had initially spent extra coin to hire a private carriage in search of restful solitude. Instead, she was treated to a bumpy ride and a leering driver. After a full day of escalating harassment, she demanded he drop her off—and give her a refund.

It probably helped that she had him dangling upside down when she asked.

While her purse hadn’t suffered, her psyche certainly had—she was stuck in this smelly town until another carriage came through or she found someone to take her to the city. Even worse, when she entered the town’s inn and offered double the standard price for a room, the idiot in front of her insisted his building was full!

Preposterous! The only people in the tavern at the time were a scruffy blonde and his companion. To make matters worse, her argument had been interrupted by a _brute_ who called her ‘pint size’!

At least her sister had the sense to make a peace offering—not that it was much. The ale here was probably more piss than water. Weiss gave up on finding a room—for now—and settled at a table. She heard some passing remark about her family but ignored it in favor of sitting by the fireplace.

After warming herself for a moment, she debated whether or not to apologize to the brute—Yang. She was feeling a bit snappy after the events of the day, but that didn’t excuse rudeness.

Speaking of rudeness, her internal dialogue was _very_ rudely interrupted by the sound of crashing footfalls. Weiss turned away from the fireplace to see over a dozen armed men storm into the tavern, weapons drawn.

Weiss was definitely _not_ having a good day

* * *

Blake surveyed her surroundings—close quarters, exits blocked, threats on all sides, and 3 potential allies.

She’d dealt with worse odds.

A quick scan of the armed men confirmed that they weren’t affiliated with the Fang, so she was clear for that too.

“Take him out!”

As the robed figure shouted his first order, Blake wrapped her kusarigama around the nearest mercenary and knocked him prone. As she turned to check her backside, she saw the sisters already taking care of another group.

_“Where did she pull that scythe from?”_

When Blake turned her attention back to the dining room, she saw the Schnee launch one bandit into another, knocking them both to the floor before aiming her staff at a new target. The other guests in the tavern were active as well—or at least one of them was. A hooded figure had moved in front of the scruffy blonde, a pointed spear warding off his attackers.

The man Blake had tripped started getting to his feet, only to be interrupted by a blade to the throat. None of the others were paying much attention to her—or the Schnee, despite her show of force. They were all charging at the red-headed spear wielder, or perhaps the blonde cowering behind her.

Interesting.

***

Ruby’s confusion fell away as she watched the mercenaries practically flood into the room. She already had Crescent Rose in hand and pulled her out as a scythe. A few of the nearby thugs stepped back at the sight of such a large weapon, but before Ruby could get in a swing, Yang had already downed two of them with her fists.

“Yang! I had those guys!” Ruby whined. Yang ignored her as she continued rampaging through bodies.

At least Yang got the chance to work her temper out.

Ruby glanced towards the dining room just in time to see a floating body knock into another while Blake slashed at a downed mercenary’s throat. Ruby turned back to see the robed man trying the fend off Yang with bursts of energy from his palm. She winced when she saw Yang take a few to the face, but she’d probably be fine as long as he didn’t touch—

“YOU HIT MY HAIR, YOU BUTT MUNCHER!”

Oh boy.

Ruby shifted Crescent Rose into a quarterstaff, knocking bodies aside as she rushed toward her sister. By the time she made it there, the mage was bloodied all over, his face almost caved in. Yang was still panting and huffing, but seemed to be calming slowly. She looked over at Ruby with shame, apologizing wordlessly.

“It’s okay Yang, he was probably a bad guy anyway.”

Ruby reached out to hug her sister.

“You are _not_ getting away you pieces of trash!”

Ruby heard several thuds against the tavern wall.

“I could have been in a room! With a _bed_!”

More thuds, against the floor now.

“Instead! I had to deal with _incompetence_!”

Ruby spun around just in time to see a cluster of bodies being swung around like a ball on a string.

“And now I’m _angry_!”

Weiss swung her staff down, slamming the ball of bodies to the floor. She looked up, making eye contact with Ruby, and waved sheepishly.

“Ahem. I...apologize for my earlier conduct.” she flushed, “Perhaps we can start again?”

* * *

“Hello! Sorry, you seem to have been caught up in our mess,” said the redhead in the corner, “Perhaps you three could speak with the own—”

“Pyrrha, wait,” said the man behind her, “We need to make sure they're not involved either.”

Pyrrha seemed to wilt at his admonishment, but readied her spear nonetheless, “Oh, sorry! Are you here to threaten the Arc family!?”

“The...who?” replied Ruby.

“I wouldn’t touch the Arc family even if you paid me,” sniffed Weiss, inspecting her nails, “Least of all this one.”

“Arc! Jaune Arc!” the blonde leaped from his hiding spot behind Pyrrha, “It’s short and sweet, rolls off the tongue! Ladies love it!”

Jaune received nothing but blank stares and a reassuring pat from Pyrrha.

He sighed, “Look, I can tell you guys weren’t with...whoever these guys are. You also look like you can handle yourselves. I’ve got a proposition for you if you’d like to make some coin.”

At the word “proposition” Weiss eyes flared, and she lunged towards Jaune.

“Not that kind of proposition! I swear!” he put his hands up, “Listen, I just got a note telling me to be here, and then this happened. I’m just suggesting you share any information you might have about these guys.”

“You got a note telling you to sit in a crappy tavern, and you listened?”

Jaune slumped, “I wasn’t just...it’s a little more complicated than that, but if you can look into this I promise I can pay you handsomely. You know of the Arc family, right?”

Both Ruby and Yang shrugged while Weiss continued scowling at her nails.

“You’re a merchant family based in Saphiryn,” Blake answered, ”You’ve got a pretty high standing within the city, but you haven’t trampled on anyone to get there.”

“Alright fine, he can pay. What exactly do you want us to do?” said Yang.

Pyrrha stepped forward, “If I may? We cannot openly investigate today’s events due to...sensitive circumstances. However, since you are new to the area and unaffiliated with the Arc family, you can look into the matter without drawing attention to us. As Jau—Lord Arc mentioned, the Arc family pays its debts.”

Yang and Ruby made eye contact and communicated wordlessly before shrugging their acceptance.

“I don’t have any active contracts at the moment, so I’m in,” said Blake.

The group turned to look at Weiss, who was now glaring at the floor. She looked up and glanced at each face in sequence, before lingering on Ruby’s.

“...I accept your proposal.”

“Whee!! YANG! We have a party! We’re real adventurers now!” Ruby hopped onto Yang, “We’re gonna have so much fun! All the bad guys are going to be like ‘Ahh!’ ‘Oh no!’ when they see us!”

Weiss rested her forehead on her staff, “I have so many regrets.”

* * *

After everyone settled down and most of the bodies were disposed of—after a round of _thorough_ looting, of course—the group gathered around the fireplace.

“Do you have any clues, anything that could help?” asked Blake.

Jaune reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a slip of parchment, “I have this note I was sent? The handwriting isn’t recognizable or anything.”

“Wait!” Weiss snatched it from his grip and started muttering to herself. The paper flashed and revealed a small sigil in one corner. Weiss looked around the room frantically, prompting Blake to do the same. After a moment, Weiss burned the note in her hand.

“Hey! That was a clue!” Jaune shouted.

“No, that was a trap,” Weiss replied, “Whoever sent this to you is a mage—or has one at his disposal. We’ll be lucky if they haven’t scryed on us yet.”

Jaune paled, “Oh no. I’ve had the note for a week! Shoot. I still remember what it said though. Let me write it down.”

Pyrrha handed Jaune a slip of paper and a quill, and he rewrote the note.

 

> Come to the Moonweaver tavern on 12 Frost.
> 
> No watchmen unless you’d like to burn bridges with your flowery friend

Weiss studied the note, “Ah, blackmail. I thought the Arcs were shining examples of _valor_ and _integrity_.”

Pyrrha raised her spear, but Jaune waved her off with an arm before she moved forward.

“Irrelevant. Information on these bastards for gold, don’t contact me otherwise,” Jaune replied, his voice steely for the first time.

Pyrrha and Jaune left the tavern shortly after, leaving an awkward silence behind.

“Uh...so. Should we do names again?” said Ruby.

“Weiss. Schnee.”

“Okay, frosty! I’m Yang! And I call these babies ‘Ember’ and ‘Celica’,” Yang said, kissing each of her biceps.

“You named your arms?” Blake deadpanned, “Unbelievable. I’m Blake.”

“And I’m Ruby! Rose! Like the flower! But uh...you guys probably already knew that,” Ruby trailed off into a mumble, “And I make cool stuff out of less cool stuff.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow, “Do you mean your weapon? It looked rather unique, though I don’t see how you manage to carry it around.”

Ruby lit up, “You mean my baby? Crescent Rose? She’s super easy to carry!”

Ruby pulled out a metal rod, waving it in circles, “It took me _forever_ to get all her different forms right! She used to only be a staff or a sword, but now she’s pretty much anything I want her to be! See?”

As Ruby spoke, the rod in her hand kept shifting forms: from rod to staff, to sword, to crossbow. She finished by standing up and shifting Crescent Rose into its scythe form, before shrinking it back down and holstering it with a flourish.

“Impressive,” Weiss smiled, “I must say, you put the fools in Skolaris to shame.”

“Okay Ruby, you can flirt later, what are we doing now?” said Yang.

Both Weiss and Ruby flushed and mumbled protests.

Blake looked around the room, “Has anyone seen the owner?”

“...No? Not since before—oh that slimy turd!” Yang said

“He went into the back after I ordered some ale,” Ruby muttered, fiddling with her fingers, “So I guess we could go there?”

The team stood up and slowly approached the door. Weiss and Blake slid onto opposite sides, while Ruby aimed her crossbow at the door from a distance. Yang charged at the door, knocking the wood down with her shoulder.

“On the ground! My boots have a date with your…face…” Yang’s charge slowed to a halt.

The back room was empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So team RWBY is finally all together! Do they have solid bonds of trust and respect with each other? Not at all! Will it matter? Maybe!
> 
> Most of my players didn't have a backstory ready when we played our first session, so the hook for the campaign was literally "wow you guys all entered the tavern at the same exact time what a coincidence", but I hope what I presented here is a little less flimsy! 
> 
> In my home campaign, the party is at level 3, however, I would estimate the members of team RWBY to be a higher level than that based on their backstories.
> 
> I gave up trying to figure out their levels and just decided "Weiss can chuck people like rag dolls with her mind" was a good enough estimate. I've been DYING to play a psion for a while, but haven't had the chance to play it in my home campaign yet, so I suppose I'm living vicariously through Weiss.


	3. Bad Cop, Worse Cop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RWBY search for their quarry. Blake and Weiss bond over being terrible people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/5/18] Minor revisions
> 
> By "terrible people" I mean people who aren't Lawful Good (l m a o)
> 
> If I had to sort everyone at this moment, it's be something like this:
> 
> Ruby: Neutral Good  
> Yang: Chaotic Good  
> Blake: Chaotic Neutral  
> Weiss: True Neutral 
> 
> Also, I hadn't mentioned it previously, but Faunus in this universe are mechanically similar to hengeyokai. They can shift between a fully humanoid (with small animal traits) form, a hybrid form, and a complete beast shift.

“On the ground! My boots have a date with your…face…” Yang’s charge slowed to a halt.

The back room was empty.

* * *

Yang stomped around the room, swinging her arms, turning things over.

“It’s empty! Aaargh!”

There weren’t any doors leading out of the room, and none of the furniture (mostly storage bins for the kitchen) would be able to hide the innkeeper.

Yang roared, throwing boxes and crates against the walls, “How did he get away!?”

After seeing Yang pace the room and not fall prey to any traps, Blake gingerly stepped in, looking around. Although the room was messy (messier with Yang’s work) she could still see scuff marks along the walls and floor leading to–

“There’s a trapdoor,” Blake deadpanned, “Under your left foot.”

Yang’s fury dropped into sheepish grin, “...sorry about that. I’m more of a hammer than a knife, if you get what I mean.”

“Good thing I’m more of a knife than a hammer then,” Blake smirked, “Weiss, do you feel any magic here?”

Weiss stepped into the room looking around at the mess, “No, and I don’t see any runes either. They would be covered by now if there were any though.”

Yang rubbed the back of her neck again, “Look, if something big and scary is coming at us, I’ll take the hit to make it up, okay?”

“I’m amenable to that,” Weiss said, “However, I’d prefer if you just exercised better control in the future—and I mean that respectfully.” The last part hastily added when she saw Yang’s temper flare again.

“Door’s open,” Blake interjected, “You two can flirt later.”

Blake chuckled at their sputtering protests.

These people were too easy.

* * *

After Blake to checked the ladder and subsequent room for traps, the rest of the group climbed down into the cellar.

“Doesn’t look like he’s here either,” said Ruby, “Lots of food though. We can stock up on our way out, I guess.”

“We might just need to search a little harder, we didn’t spot the trap door at first, remember?” Weiss replied.

Blake chuckled, “Oh, that trap door wasn’t hidden. It was just covered in flour when Yang started breaking stuff.”

Yang turned red, “You mean—”

“Yep, it was in plain sight,” Blake replied, “You haven’t broken anything down here yet though, so at least you’re learning.”

Ruby patted Yang’s back as she sulked by the ladder.

“Blake, could you come over here,” Weiss said, “Something about these crates looks off.”

Blake came up to Weiss to inspect the boxes. They were indeed, slightly off: the wood looked quite worn compared to the barrels around it, and there were strange scuff marks along some of the gaps.

Ruby joined the other two at the crate, “Oh, wow. This is a pretty old door.”

The rogue and the psion looked at Ruby strangely.

“What?” she said, “Does it not look like a door to you?”

Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose as a crowbar, prying at a tiny gap. The wood swung out suddenly, revealing a corridor.

“See? Door!”

“Don’t mind her,” Yang said, joining the group, “She just has a sense for these things.”

“Traps?” Blake replied

“Nah, just...stuff?” Yang shrugged, “It hard to explain, but she’s always been good with building things or improving things other people have built. I think she just speaks metal…and wood and stone. Sometimes cloth”

“Leather too!” Ruby piped up, “Sometimes things carry traces of their maker—more so if the object is magic.”

Blake shrugged and walked into the corridor, magic always went over her head anyways. Ruby and Yang followed her, with Weiss lagging behind—her brain firmly preoccupied in arcane theory.

* * *

The room on the other side of the corridor was much different than the cellar. There were comfortable chair set around a fireplace, and even a small cot in the corner. They found the innkeeper with his back to the group, huddling by the fire.

Yang started forward, but stopped when Ruby tugged on her shoulder. Blake slid past silently, knife drawn and pressed against the man’s throat in a flash.

“You are outnumbered and any allies you may have had are dead. I have a _very_ angry fighter, an angrier psion, and a not-angry, but equally deadly reaper all ready to tear you to pieces. Cooperate, and you may live with all your bits intact.”

Yang’s jaw dropped, “Holy shit, marry me.”

Blake turned back and winked, “Buy me dinner first.”

“Flirt later! Punch guy now!” Ruby interrupted.

The silence that followed was interrupt by the sound of dripping water. Blake looked down and wrinkled her nose in disgust before shoving him to the ground.

“Ugh, disgusting,” she said, “And don’t get any ideas about moving. Just because I don’t want your piss on me, doesn’t mean I’m not okay with blood.”

“That sounds kinda gross Bla—,” said Ruby, before Weiss covered her mouth, rolling her eyes.

“Please, don’t kill me! Look I don’t know anything,” the man pleaded, “I just got this note on my bed—my bed! They broke into my home!”

Blake pulled the note away from the sobbing man, scanning it before nodding at Weiss. When Weiss grasped the paper, it flashed and showed the same sigil in the corner as the other note.

“I read it already, burn it,” Blake said, “I think letting this guy sleep in his own piss for the night is punishment enough—he’ll also be putting us up for the night and sending us off with plenty of rations, _right?_ ”

“Yes! Anything! Let me live!”

“Blake, that’s enough,” Ruby said in a small voice, “We got what we needed.”

Blake looked at Ruby with cold eyes before nodding, “You stay down here for the night. We’ll leave tomorrow, and you tell _no one_ what you saw here, got it?”

The innkeeper frantically nodded from his spot on the floor, “Thank you! Thank you!”

Blake made eye contact with Weiss again, gesturing at the owner. Weiss nodded in return, before muttering under her breath and waving her hand—unnoticed by all but Blake.

The party left the cellar and returned to the dining area.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I could use a cold drink and a soft bed,” said Yang, winking at Blake, “Care to join me, beautiful?”

“Like I said, buy me dinner first,” Blake smirked and left to find a room upstairs.

“I will also be turning in for the night,” said Weiss, “Yang, Ruby. It was...an experience, making your acquaintance. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Eesh, tough crowd, at least I’ve got you, right Ruby?”

Yang’s question was answered by soft snores. Yang sighed and picked her up before walking up the stairs to find them a room.

* * *

“No, your little scheme failed. You’re lucky I got rid of the old geezer who owned the place before everyone showed up.

“Yeah, he hired a couple of girls. Blonde, black, white, red.

“No, he left already, the girls are still here, but they’re going to be sniffing arou—eck”

The “innkeeper” gasped as Blake wrapped her chain around his neck. She noticed a faint shimmer in the air and another slip of paper in his hand.

Weiss moved the paper out of his hand and into the fireplace from her hiding spot in the corridor, and the shimmer vanished.

“I believe I said to tell _no one_ what you saw tonight,” Blake threatened,”But it seems you’re set on losing some body parts.”

Any reply from the man was cut off as Blake pulled the chain tighter.

“Weiss, would you restrain him?”

“With pleasure,” Weiss replied, pointing her staff at him. His body was yanked upward by an ankle until he was dangling upside-down in front of Blake.

“Ladies, ladies. Listen!”

"No, _you_ listen,” Blake’s voice dropped to a menacing growl, “I don’t particularly enjoy being talked about. Even less when I don’t know who’s listening. Tell me everything you know, or I’ll start with the non-essential parts of you first.”

“I don’t think he needs to procreate, so you could probably start there,” Weiss added, “I’ve also read that you only need one kidney to survive, he could see how that works out.”

The orange-haired man was shaking at this point, “Look, I _really_ don’t know that much beyond what you told me. Even if I told you, it’d kill me too!”

“Then I guess you’re choosing between a slow death and a quick one,” Blake said.

“Fall! That’s the only name I’ve got, I don’t know who she is but she’s powerf—agh!”

His hasty confession turned to screams of pain, his body contorting and writhing, even as Weiss held him aloft. After a few moments his screams stopped, and his body fell limp.

“Keep holding him, please,” Blake said, as she walked around the body. She cut away parts of his clothes with her knife, looking for anything out of place. “Have you seen this rune before?”

Blake gestured to a burnt symbol on the innkeeper’s chest. It wasn’t just a symbol, however, it looked like a brand—burned an inch deep into his torso.

“I haven’t seen such a spell before, but the sigil matches what we’ve seen on the notes,” Weiss answered, “We aren’t telling the other two about this, are we?”

Blake looked at Weiss, puzzled, “Why not? It’s valuable information.”

“Ruby just seemed so...naive,” Weiss replied, “I understand that this was necessary—good call on having me plant a mark to scry down here, by the way—I’m just worried that she won’t see it that way.”

“If she doesn’t, then she can go do something else,” Blake said, “It’s not like we _need_ her to do this.”

Weiss bit her lip, “If she goes, the blonde does too.”

“So?” Blake said, voice pitched high, “Is that supposed to mean something?”

“I don’t know about you, but I haven’t traveled with a companion in a long time,” Weiss said, “And it’s been even longer since I’ve trusted anyone I traveled with. I understand your concerns with my family, but even if you don’t trust me, you can probably trust those two.”

Blake scowled at the body again before meeting Weiss’ eyes.

“You’re not bad, for a Schnee,” she said, “We’ll talk to them in the morning about _this_ , and I think they’ll stay if we’re… _gentle_ about it”

“Excellent. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. I’ll see you in the morning Blake,” Weiss replied, flinging the corpse into a corner, “...We’ll probably have to deal with that tomorrow too, ugh.”

“Good night, princess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the most brutal chapter, and I don't know if this is the limit to how dark it can get. The world of DnD is pretty brutal, at least in terms of violence. A lot of Blake's lines were written with the mindset of "let me see if I can write something scary enough I'd give inspiration for", so I might have gone over the top with her. 
> 
> Both Blake and Weiss have had pretty rough pasts—Blake has been on her own for at least a year or two, and Weiss has severed ties with her family for about the same amount of time. While Ruby has Yang to shield her from some of life's realities, Blake and Weiss have targets painted on their backs forcing them to resort to more...efficient methods of taking care of themselves.
> 
> Even once Ruby and Yang become a part of their lives, the pieces of darkness they have doesn't just go away. I think it's unrealistic when media has a protagonist "save" another character from their darker nature—that kind of change should be self-motivated.
> 
> Long ramble aside, I do want to note that this story isn't going to dark and violent all the time—there will be silly moments in between the bad ones, and hopefully you enjoy both!


	4. Teaaaaam RWBY!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake watched her with disbelief, “Okay. Where the fuck does it all go?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/5/18] minor revisions

Ruby woke in an unfamiliar bed. She scrambled for a moment before finding Crescent Rose underneath her pillow—that was a good sign.

As she sat up, the previous day’s events filtered back into her mind.

It was nice to meet new people. Ruby was fortunate to always have Yang at her side, but she knew her sister needed other company from time to time—and she was the same, just…less.

She’d never met anyone who could really appreciate her creations either—most people assumed it was something she found in a dungeon, but Weiss could tell her baby was unique. She knew her weapon was flashy, but Ruby got the feeling that Weiss was more impressed with the work that went into it, rather than the result.

Yang tried, but she really couldn't keep up with Ruby when it came to magic. It didn't help that what Ruby did was unorthodox and mostly self-taught. Blake didn't seem like the magical type either, but maybe she and Weiss could compare notes! If Weiss told her more about how her abilities worked, maybe Ruby could build her something!

Ruby was pulled from her musing by a soft knock at the door.

“Ruby? It’s Weiss. Are you awake?”

“Oh! Yeah, come in!”

Weiss eased the door open, slowly stepping in as though she was entering a bear cave.

“Weiss, why are you so stiff?” Ruby asked.

“I simply—I didn’t—...I’m not intruding am I?”

Ruby giggled at how shy Weiss was acting in comparison to when they first met, “I did say come in, didn't I?”

“Right. Yes. Correct,” Weiss seemed to be gathering herself, “I just wanted to inform you that Blake and I...uncovered new information last night that we’d like to share with you and your sister. We will be waiting downstairs, with breakfast.”

“Oh cool! Food sounds great!” Ruby got out of bed, “Do you know which room Yang’s in?”

“Ah, she’s one room over,” Weiss replied, “She didn't respond to knocking, and I’d rather not ‘wake the dragon’ if you will.”

Ruby giggled in response, causing Weiss to blush, “Oh man, don't say that to her or she’ll be unbearable for a week—her name means ‘Sunny Dragon’ and she loves making puns. I’ll go wake her up. See you soon!”

Weiss shuffled out—slightly less awkward than how she entered—leaving Ruby free to wake Yang.

* * *

Ruby stood outside Yang’s door and took a deep breath. Years of sibling experience had taught her the only foolproof method of awakening her sister.

“YAAAAAAAAANG! Get up get up lazy butt!”

Ruby burst into the room and took a running leap onto Yang’s bed. Upon impact, she started flopping on top of the blanket wrap hiding her sister.

“...oof,” Yang mumbled

“Yang! Wake up! There’s food!” Ruby continued rolling around the bed, occasionally pausing to shake her sister, “Weiss said she had something to tell us too!”

The lump underneath Ruby squirmed before Ruby was thrown in the air as Yang rose. Ruby giggled as she fell, easily caught by the sleepy brawler. Yang grumbled and tickled Ruby before standing up and setting her down.

“Thanks for avoiding my gut this time, Rubadoodle,” Yang said, “Now scram, I’ve gotta tame the mane.” Yang pushed her sister towards the door and began running her fingers through her hair.

Well aware of her sister’s vanity, Ruby left the room and shut the door behind her before heading downstairs

* * *

Weiss sat across the table from Blake, setting a cup of tea in front of each of them. The table had a generous spread of food from the cellar: bread, cheese, dried fruits, and jerky. Weiss contemplated bringing up some of the wine bottles as well—it would have certainly made the upcoming conversation easier for her—but decided against it.

Blake nodded her thanks at Weiss and took a bite of her breakfast—a warmed chunk of bread with jerky. She wasn’t looking forward to informing the other two about last night’s events either.

It was a strange feeling for Blake. Realistically, she had no obligation to be here. She could just...leave—she owed these people nothing. She was used to traveling alone, she didn’t _need_ any of them.

But Blake still stayed.

If Weiss noticed Blake’s inner conflict, she didn’t acknowledge it. She had nibbled on some bread and cheese earlier and was too nervous to eat . As she sipped her tea with her right hand, her left fiddled with a small crystal. It was an old habit from when she was younger—her family didn’t approve of fidgeting, but apparently, it was fine if she fidgeted _telekinetically_. She ran through old exercises absentmindedly—turn, flip, drop, catch, toss, catch, repeat—staring into space.

The calm that had settled between Blake shattered upon Ruby announcing her arrival. She ran down the stairs, finishing with a leap off the last few steps into the dining area. At the sight of food on the table, she charged over to the seated pair and slid into the seat next to Weiss.

“Nife worg Weiff!” she cheered through a mouthful of bread before swallowing, “Yang and I hadn’t had a chance to eat before everything happened last night.”

Weiss was unsure whether she should be disgusted by the display or charmed by the compliment. She split the difference and simply nodded and continued sipping her tea. Her crystal continued twisting and turning in the air, catching Ruby’s attention.

“I never asked you guys what you could do, huh,” Ruby said, “I mean, I kind of figured from when we were taking out those guys from before, but if we’re going to travel together we should learn more about each other!”

Blake’s ears flattened at Ruby’s statement.

“Let’s discuss that after we tell you what happened last night,” Blake replied, “Then you can decide if you still want to travel with us.”

“Wow, that doesn’t sound creepy at all,” Yang said, climbing down the stairs, “I don’t see why we wouldn’t want to knock some more skulls with you two, right, Rube-a-loo?”

Ruby pouted around her mouthful of bread, leaving Weiss free to continue where Blake left off.

“Let’s get this out of the way then. I left my own sigil in the basement last night, and we caught our “innkeeper” talking to someone magically,” Weiss said, “He wasn’t the original owner, just another pawn in whatever’s going on.”

“When we confronted him, whoever was pulling his strings burned him to death,” Blake continued, “It wasn’t pretty.”

Silence fell across the table.

“...xt time,” Ruby mumbled, pressing her fingers together.

Weiss turned to look at her, “What?”

Ruby looked up, resting her hands in her lap, “You should include us next time.”

Weiss and Blake sported matching puzzled expressions.

“We just told you we tortured a man who spontaneously burned to death, and you want us to _bring you_ next time?”

“Well, you didn’t mention the torture bit,” Ruby replied, “But yeah, I have some magical experience too. I could’ve helped!”

Yang added, “This isn’t our first time dealing with something gnarly. Dealt with a couple of wanna-be necromancers last year, took care of a couple goblin camps on our way here too.”

Weiss’ brow furrowed as she processed Yang’s claims, allowing Blake to cut in, “And what about the torture?”

Yang tore a chunk of jerky with her teeth and replied, “It was pretty hot from what I saw.”

“Yang says I’m not scary enough to squeeze people for info,” Ruby added, “But we’ve worked out a system for it.”

Blake and Weiss stared blankly, trying to reconcile the cheery demeanors with the previous statements.

Weiss recovered first, “Well. I suppose that’s out of the way. The only useful information we got from the fraud was a name: ‘Fall’.”

“The body was burned with the same mark we saw on the notes too,” Blake said, “Ruby, do you think you could get anything from that? Or the remains?”

Ruby chewed on her fruit thoughtfully, “Maybe? I can at least make a sketch of the rune to study for later”

“Okay, okay. Rule number one: No work at the dining table!” Yang said, “Let’s finish eating first and then we can talk shop.”

Weiss grumbled a protest about sleeping in, but the rest of the group agreed and changed to lighter topics of conversation as everyone ate. Weiss continued playing with her crystal—which had dropped into her lap earlier—and made tea for Yang and Ruby. The rest of the meal was filled with banter between the sisters with occasional input from Weiss.

Blake sat quietly, watching the other three as she finished her jerky. The sisters, at least, seemed genuine—as far as she could tell. She held little trust for the Schnee family, but she’d heard rumors of a renegade heir, and Weiss had been tolerable so far. She could reserve her judgment for now.

* * *

After eating the rest of the food—“Yang’s stomach is actually a Bag of Holding”—the party cleared the table before setting off for the basement. The sisters noticed the door to the tavern was barred, which explained why they hadn’t been disturbed, though that probably wouldn’t last for long.

The basement was cold—much colder than the previous night. A wall of ice coated parts of the hidden room, a corpse in an ice block at the center.

“I didn’t want to deal with a rotten corpse this morning,” Weiss said, “I didn’t want it near the food either.”

Ruby nodded absentmindedly, her attention focused on the body. Her eyes occasionally flared with silver light as she inspected the body, the rune, and the general area. She muttered under her breath before pulling a scroll out from a pouch.

“Neither of you have any cleric training, do you?” Ruby asked. She sighed as Blake and Weiss shook their heads. “I could use a scroll to get a couple of answers from this schmuck, but it sounds like he didn’t know much?”

“I don’t think he was very important if he was tossed away so easily,” Blake replied, “Best to save it for someone a little higher up.”

Ruby nodded before turning to examine the body again. She put the scroll away and pulled out her writing kit. Her eyes flared and her hand flew over the parchment, flawlessly recreating the sigil. As the glow in her eyes faded, she quickly muttered under her breath again, causing the ink to flash and be replaced with meaningless scribbles. She stored everything back away and turned to face the rest of the group.

“Did you sense any magic in the room before you made all this ice?” Ruby asked.

Weiss shook her head, “No, I checked first.”

“I guess I probably just found what you did then,” Ruby replied, “What kind of idiot lets someone mark his body though?”

“What do you mean?” Weiss asked.

“The rune on his chest! I mean, you can place your mark on objects pretty easily, but you usually need a willing subject if you’re going to mark a person,” Ruby gestured vaguely with her hands, “I’ve heard of cases where the marker just overpowers the subject’s will though.”

“You mean...it was on him before he was burned?”

“Well. Probably? I didn’t sense it on him last night though.”

“Neither did I,” Weiss narrowed her eyes, “We’re probably dealing with a powerful magic user. Fun.”

“You skipping out, princess?” Yang teased.

Weiss scoffed, “Hardly. It’ll just be tedious, that’s all.”

Blake seemed to appear out of nowhere, “You guys can flirt later. Ruby, I found some of his notes.”

Weiss and Yang both flushed and protested before bickering over who would be worse to date.

“Neat! Were they locked up or anything?” Ruby said.

Blake shook her head and handed the papers over. Ruby pulled a small box out of her bag, and unfolded it into a table. She laid the papers out, eyes darting between all of them. Her eyes flared again for a moment before she sighed. She straightened the papers and tucked them away with her boxed table. 

Blake watched her with disbelief, “Okay. Where the hell does it all go?”

Yang groaned into her palm, “Don’t get her started!”

“Shush Yang! Maybe _Blake_ will appreciate how cool my stuff is!” Ruby pointed her finger at Yang before spinning to look at Blake,”I told you yesterday, I make cool stuff out of less cool stuff! Bags of Holding are cool, but my Bag of _Folding_ is even cooler!”

Blake had many regrets.

“I used to make Bags of Holding when I got bored as a kid, so I know them pretty well,” Ruby continued, ”And after Yang and I started moving around more, I figured—why bother carrying anything at all? So I made a Bag of Folding!”

“Ruby, you forgot to explain _what_ it is. Again,” Yang groaned.

“I was getting there! Anyways, my bag is cool because it only exists when I want it to!” Ruby said, “Makes it harder to steal too!”

“...I still don’t get it, but please stop,” Blake looked mildly pained, “Is there anything else worth looking at here?”

“Nope! I’m pretty sure we got everything,” Ruby chirped, “Right, Weiss?”

Weiss had been playing with her crystal as Ruby worked, but once she began talking about her invention the crystal began whirling faster. At Ruby’s question, the crystal stopped spinning and Weiss let it fall to her palm.

“Ah, yes. I don’t think there’s anything else we can learn here,” Weiss said, “We could probably take some of the food with us when we leave as well.”

“Smart! Alright, let’s set out tea~am RWBY!” Ruby cheered.

Weiss and Ruby bickered over the name the entire time they packed, continuing as they left the town—accompanied by Zwei.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of character interaction, not much plot!
> 
> There's a lot of dialogue, but banter is half the fun of being in a party!
> 
> My head is pretty much stuck in this world. I hope you've enjoyed your visit!


	5. On the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ruby, you can flirt la—Actually, I guess we’re not doing anything besides walking,” Yang said, “But keep your eyes peeled. I still remember when those kobold fuckers got the jump on us because you were using Crescent Rose as a pogo stick.”
> 
> Ruby flushed to match Weiss, “I’m not flirting! You’re flirting!...And I got us out of that pit really fast!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/5/18] Minor revisions
> 
> God invented portals because otherwise, adventures would be 90% walking.
> 
> Luckily, team RWBY doesn't have portal access at the moment, so there's plenty of walking time to watch them bicker!

Of all the absurdity in the past 48 hours, the sight before Blake was the most disconcerting. If she didn’t have four ears she would worry about her hearing, but was a Schnee... _cooing_?

“Aww Zwei! Who’s a good boy?,” Weiss patted his side, “That’s right! It’s you!”

Blake was unsure found Weiss’ demeanor endearing or sad. Perhaps it was both.

“Have you not seen a horse before?” Blake said, “I’d assume you’d be able afford a few, even on your own.”

“Father wasn’t a fan of animals, and at the Academy I didn’t have much need. Arcaeus is well equipped with teleportation sigils for long distance travel, and most arcane users prefer using a Tenser’s disk to avoid caring for an animal,” Weiss replied, “It hadn’t occurred to me to acquire a horse since I’d gone for so long without them.”

“Oh! Do you want to learn how to take care of Zwei then?” Ruby chirped, “He likes anyone who feeds him, he’s greedy.”

“I would enjoy that actually. It would be practical for me to know how to care for your animal in case we’re separated.”

Ruby’s jaw gaped, “Why would we be separated?! Don’t jinx it Weiss!”

Weiss simply blushed and returned to patting Zwei as she walked.

“Ruby, you can flirt la—Actually, I guess we’re not doing anything besides walking,” Yang said, “But keep your eyes peeled. I still remember when those kobold fuckers got the jump on us because you were using Crescent Rose as a pogo stick.”

Ruby flushed to match Weiss, “I’m not flirting! You’re flirting!...And I got us out of that pit really fast!”

“Yeah, but I got pit water _all_ up in my hair,” Yang replied, doing a hair flip, “So keep your eyes on the road, I’m sure you can show Weiss how you like to _ride_ later.”

Blake snorted, “That was terrible.”

“Get used to it,” Ruby grumbled as Yang sent Blake a wink, “Oh. Hold on guys!”

Ruby stopped walking and pulled out her writing kit and a folding chair from her pouch.

“If you want to take a break, we should stop somewhere not so o—mmph!” Weiss was cut off as Yang covered her mouth, giving her a stern look. Weiss was _livid_ , and nearly threw the brute off of her, but she noticed Ruby’s eyes flaring silver again and stopped.

Ruby stared into the distance, eyes still glowing—though it was hard to tell in the daylight—as her hands started writing notes. Her tongue poked out of her mouth in concentration as she started sketching, before the glow in her eyes faded and she sighed. She slumped a little in her seat, looking worn.

“I left a few goodies in the tavern and locked it magically on our way out,” Ruby explained, “Someone broke into the tavern, which let me know to look in on it. I was hoping it was just townsfolk checking up on the place but… 

Ruby grimaced, “There was a group that started setting fire to the place. They didn’t seem to have touched the rest of the town, but whoever we’re chasing doesn’t like loose ends.”

Weiss stiffened in Yang’s grasp as the rest of the party mirrored Ruby’s expression. She wiggled out of Yang’s—now loose—grip and walked over to Ruby. The younger girl didn’t seem worse for wear, though she could tell something about the scene had bothered her.

Blake broke the silence, “Was there anything distinguishing about them? Any markings? Crests?”

“Nope,” Ruby shook her head, “I was hoping they’d slip and show something, but besides matching red cloaks they were pretty plain. Since the hoods were down I couldn’t read their lips.”

“Could you tell if they were Faunus?” Blake continued, “It’s easy to hide ears, but a tail would probably show.”

Ruby thought for a second and her eyes flared for a moment, “No, none of them seem to be Faunus, I double checked. They all look medium sized though, so humans or elves.

Blake looked at Ruby’s papers, but only saw...scribbles?

Ruby caught her glance, “Oh! Sorry, it’s a habit.” She made a small flourish with her hand, and suddenly the scribbles faded away into neat notes and a sketch of a hooded figure.

“Red cloaks? I don’t think I’ve heard of an arcane group that favors red,” Blake commented.

“I suppose it suits their fire motif,” Weiss added, still looking at Ruby with concern, “Are you alright? I must admit I’m not as familiar with utility rituals—did it draw on your reserves?”

“No, I’m fine,” Ruby smiled gently, “Thanks Weiss. It was just...they were really thorough with removing their traces.”

She paused.

“Especially the organic ones.”

Yang wrapped her sister in a tight hug as the other two looked on with concern.

“Ruby, are you sure you want to keep with this?” Weiss asked, “I understand if this is something you can’t—”

“She’s fine. Weiss,” Yang interjected, “She just...she was home when our village was razed by bandits.”

“They burned the whole place to ashes,” Yang continued petting Ruby’s head “We’ll be fine, she’s okay with fire. Just not...being surrounded by a lot.”

Ruby had straightened in Yang’s embrace, “Okay! Well, intermission over! Let’s get the heck away from these guys!”. She quickly stood and started packing her things away as the other three remained stoic.

“Seriously, I want to get a move on,” Ruby added, “I know Blake’s been covering our trail, but I don’t want to find out if they can track us through other means.”

At her last statement, the rest of the team snapped out of their stupor and started moving to catch up.

“Do you have anywhere safe to keep your horse?” Blake asked, “It’s nice having a pack animal, but he makes it harder to keep a low profile out in the open.”

Weiss pouted, ready to argue with Blake, but Ruby spoke first, “Yeah, I can send him home at the next town. Penny would probably enjoy the company.”

Weiss’ stern expression fell into confusion. She really needed to start expanding her expectations of this girl.

“Couldn’t you make a spirit-thingy take care of him and have Penny come with us?” Yang replied, “We could use the muscle.”

“Penny’s hard to hide too, Yang,” Ruby replied, “I told her she could come see the city whenever we got there though.”

Blake cut in, “Uh. Ruby? What exactly do you mean by ‘send him home’.”

“I would like to understand as well, “Weiss added.

Ruby just grinned at them, “I guess you guys will just have to wait and see then!”

Weiss rolled her eyes as Blake shrugged. If nothing else, these two were at least...well Weiss wasn’t really sure if there was a polite adjective that could go there, but she had a positive feeling at least.

Despite her stoic demeanor, Blake had enjoyed the sisters as well. She wasn’t a conversationalist at all, but neither they nor Weiss seemed to mind.

They were also _hilarious_ to watch.

* * *

After a long day of travel, the party was ready to camp for the night. Blake started unpacking her gear when Yang patted her hand to stop her.

“Don’t worry about your stuff,” she said, “Traveling with Ruby sometimes feels like cheating at everything, but at least we’ll be comfortable doing it!”

Overhearing Yang, Weiss also stopped unpacking her bag to look at Ruby.

“Oh, sorry,” Ruby said, “I’m so used to Yang knowing I’m going to do the thing I didn’t mention it to you guys. Give me a few minutes and I’ll have camp set up.”

Ruby pulled her rod out as a staff and drew a—strangely perfect—circle in the ground, her eyes glowing. She walked to the center of the circle and slammed the staff to the ground. The air around her shimmered, and an opaque dome appeared around her. She tucked her rod away and let the glow fade from her eyes.

“Well? Come on in guys! It’s cozy!” Ruby shouted, “Bring your gear inside too!”

Yang was already walking inside, with Weiss and Blake hurrying to catch up. The temperature inside was noticeably different. It was a cool evening, yet the dome was comfortably warm. Weiss looked at the “walls” and found that while it was hard to look _into_ the dome, there was nothing blocking her view from the inside.

As Weiss continued studying Ruby’s construction, she felt a tug at her side and yelped. Alarmed, she whipped her head around to see a dozen spirits unpacking her things and setting up her bedroll—just the way she liked it; she'd have to ask Ruby how she managed that later. The sisters also already had their things laid out, and Blake’s attention was held hostage by the darting wisps.

“While I admit my specialty is in the psionic domain,” Weiss stated, “My arcane studies lead me to agree with you, Yang.”

“Everything you do is affront to academia,” when Ruby frowned, she added, “We should have met years ago.”

Ruby beamed at Weiss, soaking up the praise. Weiss gave her a small smile in return.

“Flirt later. Ruby, you haven’t set up the wards yet,” Yang said. Blake’s reverie was broken at that comment and she snorted.

Ruby rushed at Yang, pummeling her shoulder—ineffectively—with her fists. Yang pantomimed being in pain before surprising Ruby with a bear hug. As Ruby wiggled and squirmed, Yang walked to the edge of the dome and set her sister down, laughing at her pout.

Weiss watched the exchange with indignation, stomping over to her bedroll—a day of travel had taught her that engaging with Yang was a no-win situation. She sat by her bag, rifling through it aimlessly while peeking at Ruby.

Ruby’s eyes flared silver again—Weiss had only seen eyes like that for advanced identifying spells, and even then it was for only brief amounts of time, nothing like what Ruby did. She watched Ruby touch the dome from outside and send a pulse to the barrier. A thrown pebble bounced off the barrier, but Ruby’s hand could still enter. With one hand still buried in the wall, Ruby made a shushing motion. The light in her eyes faded and she looked into the dome.

Ruby’s eyes met her sister’s and Ruby mimed cutting her own hair.

“DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE YOU LITTLE—Oh you’re just testing the sound thing, aren’t you.” Yang’s rage deflated into annoyance, as she turned to Blake, “All she has to do is poke her head in and ask me to say something when she’s outside, but she always just pisses me off to get me to yell instead.”

Blake raised an eyebrow but made no response otherwise.

“Anyways, it’s usually just me and Rubadoodle in here,” Yang added, “But if you need your own space or privacy or whatever, she can probably get a curtain up.”

Blake watched Yang nervously rub the back of her head. It was a change of pace from the blonde’s bluster from the day—not unwelcome, but not necessary either. Blake’s silence must have bothered Yang, because she continued rambling.

“I mean, if you don’t like the Bowl, I’m sorry I stopped you from setting your stuff up. I just thought you’d like it in here since it’s cozy and stuff, and I know I hit on you in the tavern and most of today but I’m not trying to sleep with you I just want you to be comf—”

“Yang.” Blake internally cringed at how sharp she sounded, and tried to continue in a lighter tone, “This is wonderful. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome! I mean...uh...I guess that should come from Ruby since she did the heavy lifting, but I’m welcoming you anyways!” Yang ended her statement with a wide grin, “Seriously, though, I don’t want to overstep your boundaries—I just kind of take care of people against their will.”

“That’s...an interesting trait,” Blake returned Yang’s grin with a small smile, “And don’t worry. I’ll make sure you know when you’ve crossed a line.”

“Yeowch, kitty’s got _claw_ —oh shit is that offensive?” Yang slapped her palm to her face. Her foot and mouth were in a long-term, very committed relationship.

Blake chewed the side of her lip as she thought, “I know you mean well. Just...things that demean my intelligence or sentience—calling me an ‘animal’—would bother me.”

“Good to know, I’ll tell Rubes too,” Yang relaxed, “If that’s okay, of course.”

“Go ahead,” Blake replied, “She should be aware if I’m going to keep _Yanging_ around with you guys.”

“...I take it all back, I’m stepping over every boundary. Marry me?”

Blake smirked, “ _Xiao Long_ do I need to tell you to buy me dinner first?”

Yang gaped at Blake. Ruby groaned.

“Ugh, too much flirting! I’m turning the lights out and going to bed!”

Yang looked at the rest of the dome—huh, Ruby already set curtains up. Why were Weiss’ so much fancier? She looked up to see a familiar inky shadow wrapped around the dome—Ruby’s work, to block light.

When she turned to look back at Blake, the rogue had already changed into a simple robe and was adjusting her bedroll.

“How th—...You were naked for the 5 seconds I looked away _and I missed it_?!?” Yang whined.

Blake winked before bluntly—though politely—telling Yang to fuck off so she could sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must confess, I don't write the ships.
> 
> The ships write themselves!!
> 
> The hard part of this chapter was flipping through rituals and trying to determine if I'm making Ruby OP. Part of Ruby's charm is her "actually the universe works differently than you thought" brand of mind-boggling magic engineering, but it's tricky to balance that and not suddenly throw her into the Paragon tier.
> 
> On another note: To clarify, Weiss is a psion, but also studied arcana while she trained her natural talents in Skolaris. So while a lot of what Ruby has done is actually low-level rituals, the way she layers and combines them is very different from what is taught/studied. 
> 
> I'm also thinking Blake is a hybrid Rogue/Ranger—in her past she was a pure rogue, but travelling through the wilds on her own beefed up her ranger skills.
> 
> Yang might seem underpowered, but she's also very charismatic and tanky. While Blake can probably steal a guy's wallet without noticing, Yang could convince him to give it to her to pay for her date with Blake.
> 
> (Somewhere down the line, there is a bet made about that exact scenario. Yang wins by flirting with Blake to retrieve the already-stolen wallet. Then they do the swingle swangle.)  
> \---  
> On a personal note, I want to thank everyone who's left me kudos and/or comments! I'm glad to have the chance to share this world with you guys, and I hope you enjoy the ride!
> 
> I'm hoping the finish this work/arc before I return to University, but I have done absolutely no type of outlining so I don't know if that'll happen. I start classes around the end of September, and depending on how things go I'll either be writing nothing, or writing a shitton to avoid schoolwork. 
> 
> I know I've been updating daily (sometimes more) but I'm going to try to slow down because as much as I enjoy writing this, I've been using this to put off real-world shit (I still don't have housing for university OOPS). I definitely want to finish this story, so don't be discouraged if I don't update for a bit.


	6. In the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ruby, don't apologize. I just wanted to… Can I help you?” Weiss fumbled, “My professors all found my listening skills impeccable.”
> 
> “That is the weirdest way I’ve ever heard someone say ‘I'm a great listener’.
> 
> Weiss’ face fell.
> 
> “It’s very you,” Ruby continued, “I like it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/5/18] minor revisions
> 
> Content warning: Ruby tells Weiss what happened to her parents, meaning some mentions of fire and death.
> 
> The description isn't graphic, but I thought I'd throw it out just in case.

Weiss awoke to the sound of quiet sniffling. She couldn't tell the time since the Bowl, as Ruby called it, was shrouded, but she didn't think she'd been asleep long.

The quiet sobbing was coming from beyond the curtain between her bedroll and Ruby’s. Weiss didn't know how to comfort someone, and she was torn between faking sleep or making a fool of herself with Ruby. She shook her head—she wanted to be different from Father. Ruby would probably appreciate the company even if Weiss had no idea what to do.

 _“Ruby? Are you okay?”_ Weiss projected past the curtain. She sniffling subsided before she received a response.

_“Sorry, did I wake you up?”_

Weiss sighed. Ruby’s eternal consideration for others still confused her. She sat up and fixed her nightgown before sliding into Ruby’s corner. Ruby was sitting with her knees pressed to her chest, breathing ragged.

She turned to Weiss, “O-oh, are you mad? I’m _really_ s—”

Ruby voice dropped as Weiss gave her an awkward side hug. Ruby sniffled and wiped her face with the back of her hand. Weiss grimaced at the snot, but quickly hid her expression.

“Ruby, don't apologize. I just wanted to…can I help you?” Weiss fumbled, “My professors all found my listening skills impeccable.”

“That is the _weirdest_ way I’ve ever heard someone say ‘I'm a great listener’.”

Weiss’ face fell.

“It’s very you,” Ruby continued, “I like it.”

Weiss kept her gaze fixed downward, face still flushed, “Thank you, I think. The offer still stands. However, if we are going to continue sitting like this, I'd like to request that you clean your hands.”

Ruby took a moment to examine their positioning. Since Ruby was sitting up against the wall, Weiss had flown and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. She was still pressed up to Ruby’s side, her form warm and soft. Ruby pushed any embarrassing thoughts away and snapped her fingers.

A wisp, similar to the ones that had set up camp, reached into a bag and pulled out a flask and basin. The wisp set both items and a cloth at Ruby’s side before fading away. Weiss kept her eyes on the smaller woman—she had realized that the tinkerer came up with wondrous creations to solve mundane problems.

Ruby unstoppered the seemingly empty flask, and set it sideways on a stand above the basin. She touched the flask again, and it began pouring a steady stream of water into the bowl—which didn't overflow. Ruby used the magical sink to rinse her hands before drying them with a cloth. She snapped her fingers again, and another wisp took the items and put them away.

Ruby answered her unspoken question, “The bowl siphons water back into the flask. It’s fresh water each time I use the basin, so unless I’m really gross, it's enough to rinse off dirt and stuff.”

“We should really discuss your creations some time,” Weiss said, “I’m interested to hear about what else you’ve made.”

“Oh! Maybe when we make it to the city?” Ruby’s face lit up, “I’ve been meaning to ask you about your powers and stuff, too. I could maybe build some things for you…if you'd like?”

“That sounds lovely,” Weiss was relieved that Ruby seemed to return to her usual cheeriness, “Just to check again, do you want to talk about anything?”

Ruby shrugged, “It’s not really…I just get nightmares sometimes. I haven't had them in a while, though. Yang told you about our village.

“I was old enough that my parents realized that the reason I kept breaking stuff was so I could put it back together…but better. They made a little workshop in the cellar for me and everything.

“At the time, I’d just finished the prototype for Crescent Rose, but I didn't know how to fight with her yet. So when a bunch of bad guys came to our village, my parents told me to hide in the workshop until it was over.

“They knew I had a few Eyebies—the things I used to see the tavern—in the yard, so I could see from inside the workshop.”

Ruby’s bravado crumpled, and her eyes looked more haunted than Weiss had ever seen.

“I saw them kill everyone I knew, one by one. After they looted the village, they set everything on fire. I was too scared to even come out to save my parents’ bodies! The whole town went up in flames, and I was all alone for two days until Yang came back with Uncle Qrow.”

Weiss’ face was pale with horror. She couldn’t even imagine seeing her family suffer like that—even the parts she hated.

“Ruby. I’m…I’m so sorry.” Weiss wrapped both arms around her.

Ruby leaned into the contact, “It was a long time ago. I used to blame myself for not fighting, but Uncle Qrow and Yang helped me realize that I’d just be dead too.”

Her posture straightened, and she spoke as if reciting from memory, “It’s not my fault I couldn't protect everyone. It’s not my fault that some people do bad things. I can't control everything, but I can try my best and cherish what I have.”

“That sounds like wise advice,” Weiss replied, “Is it from your Uncle?”

“Pfffff no!” Ruby burst into giggles, causing Weiss to smile, “Nah, my uncle's not a bad person, but also I’ve never seen him drink water—nothing but whiskey and ale. He introduced me to one of his friends though, and talking with Ozpin has helped a lot.”

“I’m glad, then,” Weiss said, “I admire your strength, you know. Despite your losses, you still move forward.”

“Thanks, Weiss,” Ruby looked bashful, “Things are a lot better now. Like I said, it was a long time ago, and it only really bothers me when I have a nightmare.”

Weiss realized she was still practically wrapped around Ruby, and shifted so she was just leaning on her side, “We might see more like today, if the people were dealing with are fire specialists.”

“Yeah, I figured. I think I’ll be okay though,” Ruby replied, “I'll be prepared for next time.”

Weiss internally winced, “I didn't mean it like that, Ruby. I meant that if this happens again, you can talk to m—us.”

“No!”

Weiss was shocked, she didn't expect an outburst like that, “What? But—?”

Ruby’s eyes flared, “Sorry, I didn't hear what you said. One of my alarms went off! We have company, and someone just shot a net at Zwei! They’re still keeping their distance, but they were able to spot the Bowl, I think.

“Yang! Sleep later, punch now!“

The curtains in the Bowl dropped, and Weiss saw Yang leap to her feet. Blake was up right after, somehow already clad in leather armor.

“How many?” Yang asked.

Blake started checking her gear as she listened. Weiss pulled a simple tunic over her nightgown and slipped on a pair of shorts—she was _not_ giving these degenerates a free show.”

“Maybe a dozen?” Ruby answered, “They might have more hidden in the forest, someone already trapped Zwei.

“They’re waiting for us to come out, I think. I can draw a map—they have us flanked, but they’re also pretty far.”

Ruby started crudely mapping the area and marking spots. While she waited, Yang dressed her hands in her enchanted wrap—Ruby refused to call them ‘Punchlines’.

Blake studied Ruby’s battle map, “They’re not wrong to sit out there, the Bowl might be impenetrable, but once it drops or we leave they can just blast us with all they've got.”

Yang grinned and leaned on Blake’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, Ruby always—”

“I’ve got a plan!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ruh-roh
> 
> I actually have the next chapter written, but I want to edit it a bit more so it'll be up later today.  
> \--  
> Me: I should write less so I can be a real human  
> Also me: *writes 3k of fic at 2 AM*  
> \--  
> Me: I should try to sleep at a time that is not 4AM  
> Brain: BUT THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DND AU! WRITE IT!


	7. Fight! Fight! Fight!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby clapped her hands twice, and the Helping Hand wisps started packing everyone’s things. “We’re not going anywhere out there—we’re going to visit Penny! And then I can drop everyone off at different places.”
> 
> “I’m not sure what that means, but you’ve subverted all expectations so far, so I’ll go along with you,” Weiss said. The look on Blake’s face showed a similar sentiment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/7/18] minor revisions
> 
> I lied, I'm just going to post this chapter and do a check for errors later!

_"We have their horse restrained. The rangers are climbing the cliff to flank them.”_

Gerald didn’t want to be here, but since some other cell fucked up and his team was closest, he had to clean up this mess.

_“Have they noticed us yet?”_ Gerald thought.

_“No, sir. We can’t see inside the cloud, but from what we can tell it blocks sight both ways.”_

Fucking amateurs. He’d seen plenty of “warded” sites like this before. A group of idiots set out, and their friend—who maybe once touched a book—starts casting flashy shit and they all feel _safe_.

A lot of beginners thought casting Darkness around their tents would protect them—they can’t be seen, so they can’t be hit, right?

Sure, if you’re only trying to keep out wildlife or two-bit bandits, but even a group of half-way decent mercenaries can simply line the perimeter and wait out the cloud. A group of five or six men can cover a 20 foot circle with crossbows, easily.

But Gerald and his men have _much_ more than crossbows.

_“Have the mages ready their spells. Don’t forget, I want at least_ one _intact so we can figure out what they know—that means no fireballs, Valdo!”_

_“As you command.”_

Gerald leaned against a tree, it was only a matter of time before his men took care of business. He pulled a pipe from his side pouch and stuffed it with sweet-leaf before using a lit finger on it gently. If he was going to freeze his balls off in the cold, he could at least have a smoke with it.

He continued gently puffing until the pipe went out. He had the leaf toasted _just_ right and was ready to take light it again—

**BOOM**

Gerald fumbled and dropped his pipe—fuck, he liked that one—and looked from his vantage point at the target area. A third of his mages were hit by some sort of explosion, and the shadowy orb had vanished!

_“Fuck! Everyone get ready for close co—”_

Gerald felt pain, and then all went dark

* * *

_Blake studied Ruby’s battle map, “They’re not wrong to sit out there, the Bowl might be impenetrable, but once it drops or we leave they can just blast us with all they've got.”_

_Yang grinned and leaned on Blake’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, Ruby always—”_

_“I’ve got a plan!”_

* * *

Yang grinned smugly, “I told ya, Blakey!”

“I didn’t doubt you, I was just stating the situation. Ow, fuck you too, Schnee”

Yang and Blake both rubbed their temples where Weiss had beaned them with her crystal.

“Oh, Weiss you didn’t have to _hit_ them.” Ruby said, “But thanks for the assist? I guess? In any case, as I said: I have a plan! Those baddies are sitting on their butts just waiting for my Light’s Out to drop, so let’s be somewhere else instead!”

“Ruby, they need a little more than that,” Yang said.

“I was getting there! Anyways, like I said, we just need to not be where they’re pointing all their weapons at! I can get the Helping Hands to pack all of our stuff into my Bag of Super Holding, and then we’re just take a portal to somewhere else!” she added.

“That sounds…very one-sided,” Blake replied.

“Well, duh. Those guys suck!”

Blake sighed, “No I mean. Are _we_ doing anything here?” Blake gestured at Yang and Weiss.

“Oh. Yeah, I’m getting us out of here, but I’m not great at hitting people. If I can set a distraction, the three of you can take all of them out right?” Ruby said, “There’s a couple bowmen on the cliff above us, some magic users spread through the trees in the south, and some schmuck alone to the west.”

“Ruby, how exactly are you getting us out of here?” Weiss asked, “I can teleport myself a short distance, but not anywhere with cover. I can only _maybe_ take one person with me as well.”

Ruby clapped her hands twice, and the Helping Hand wisps started packing everyone’s things. “We’re not going anywhere out there—we’re going to visit Penny! And then I can drop everyone off at different places.”

“I’m not sure what that means, but you’ve subverted all expectations so far, so I’ll go along with you,” Weiss said. The look on Blake’s face expressed a similar sentiment.

Everyone’s things had been packed into their own bags, with Yang holding her and her sisters’ bags. Ruby pulled a comically wide sack from her back pouch. Her eyes flared and the sack shimmered briefly. Ruby shook the sack open and held it while Yang tipped their rucksacks in.

“There’s plenty of room if you guys don’t want to carry your stuff while we fight,"Ruby said.

Blake had given up on magic making any sense to her years ago, and Weiss had given up on Ruby’s magic making sense hours ago.

“If you can do this, why do you keep Zwei around?” Weiss asked, “Not that I don’t like him, but this seems more efficient.”

“This enchantment isn’t permanent, so the bag’ll fart everything out in a few hours,” Ruby said, “It also makes it hard to get your stuff when someone gets the drop on you—I learned that lesson when Yang elbowed me in the face trying to get her hand wraps while I was fetching Crescent Rose.”

Weiss nodded, it reassured her that Ruby’s crafting had some limits. “You mentioned a portal?”

“Mhm! Is everyone set?”

“We haven’t decided which groups we’re attacking,” Blake said, “If I may, Yang said she can take a hit so the two of us can take on the mages. I’m sure Weiss can shove the rangers off the cliff with a yawn, so you’re left with the leader.”

Weiss was almost instinctually insulted, but realized she agreed with Blake. “That sounds like a suitable course of action. How will we communicate when we’re separated? I can speak telepathically, but only one on one.”

“Shoot. Yang and I usually just check our bands to see if the others are okay, but I haven’t made anything beyond that.” Ruby replied.

“That’s fine, you don’t need to have all the answers, Ruby," Weiss said, her tone warm, “We can just agree to meet somewhere when we’re finished? Send up some sort of flare for assistance?”

Ruby’s eyes lit up, “I can do flares!” She started tossing small marbles at everyone. “I call these Fairy Balls!”

Yang burst into laughter.

“Hey! You know I named them when I was five! Anyways, if you hold these and think about a bright light, it’ll spit out a ball of light in whatever direction you pick. Each ball has 3 charges.

“Is everyone set?” Ruby finished.

With the group’s agreement, Ruby fished an ornate door knocker from her pouch and sent a pulse of energy into it. She then hung the knocker mid-air, and “knocked”.

A wooden door appeared around the knocker, and Ruby knocked again. After a few moments, the door opened, revealing a metal, humanoid figure.

“Ruby! It is _de_ lightful to see you!” the figure said, giving Ruby a tight hug, “Oh! Have you brought friends? Two more would be a 66% increase!”

“Hi Penny, could we come in? We’re in a bit of a sticky situation,” Ruby replied, “And yes, these are new friends, Blake and Weiss! I’m sorry, I know I promised to show you the city, but I will for sure next week!”

The group stepped through the door, into a what appeared to be a modest home’s foyer.

“Again, I’m really sorry to just pop in and out like this, but we need to use the See-Go room,” Ruby looked very put out, “Um, you might also want to keep the door up for a while, because we’re going to have to leave Zwei behind for a bit.”

Blake and Weiss were still taking in their surroundings when the sisters ushered them down a hallway, into a room with an empty door frame in the center.

“I’ll explain how awesome I am later, just go in the door when I tell you to and hit people.”

Blake shrugged; she had received worse instructions before.

Weiss _really_ wanted to know what everything was—she spotted some _very_ interesting baubles on the way in—and who “Penny” was. But she didn't want to distract Ruby, so she fell back on her childhood training and repressed all human emotion temporarily.

Ruby fiddled with a mirror on one of the walls, then the door frame hummed with light. She tossed a handful of large spheres in the opening before tapping the mirror to shut it down. She fiddled with the mirror a few more times, sending Weiss, Blake and Yang, and then finally herself through the glowing door.

***

Although it had been only minutes—at most—between dropping her Rubabooms in the forest and stepping behind Big Bad guy, she could already tell that their enemies were off-balance. The robed figure in front of her was too focused on staring at the empty campsite to hear her creep up behind him.

She couldn’t wait to test out Crescent Rose’s warhammer form!

The man crumpled under a single blow. Ruby pulled a round object from her pouch and said “Stay!” before dropping it onto his body. The ball spun around and loosened into chains, wrapping around the figure at Ruby’s feet.

Ruby’s glee was sobered quickly, however, when she saw three balls of white spurt out erratically from the cliff.

Weiss!

* * *

Weiss was sent through the doorway first, a dozen or so feet behind a group of men with their bows aimed at the Bowl. She grasped one of the closer men and used his body to knock three others down the cliff.

Some rangers turned at the noise, but were startled by an explosion in the forest—one even fell off the cliff on his own. Confused, only half of the remaining bowmen paid Weiss any attention, while the other half that hadn’t noticed her yet were scanning the forest.

She pulled the same trick again, knocking another pair of men off the cliff, leaving one able to shoot an arrow at her. Thankfully, she managed to redirect it with her telekinesis, before pushing him as well.

The remaining quartet turned towards the screaming and noticed Weiss. She managed to knock one to his feet, but two had readied their bows, and another was charging at her with a dagger. She quickly knocked the bowmen just enough so that their shots went wide, and swung her staff at the approaching ranger. She missed her swing, and he managed to graze her with his blade before she tapped his forehead with a psychic pulse.

That left her to deal with the remaining three. Weiss pulled one bowman into the other, knocking knocking them down again. She pushed the last man down the cliff before he could get to his feet. She stepped up to the remaining men, and dangled them by their ankles over the cliff edge.

“So, which one of you gentlemen want to stay alive?,” Weiss taunted, “I generally avoid men altogether, but I might keep one of you around if you can answer a few, _simple_ questions.”

“Fuck you!” the man on the left spat at her feet. Weiss’ expression hardened, and she slammed him into the side of the cliff before letting him drop.

Weiss turned to the last man with a smile, “He was quite rude, wasn’t he? Now, tell me: who sent you?”

The ranger looked at her and laughed, “You girls are in for a world of pai—ck!”

Weiss squeezed her fist, choking him, “Would you like to try again?”

The ranger eyed her angrily, then his face slackened into resignation. Weiss allowed him to speak again, still holding him by the ankle.

“We were sent…to kill you shits!” The ranger pulled a hidden dagger from his waist and threw it at Weiss. She was caught off guard and didn’t manage to deflect it completely, so it sunk into her shoulder.

She managed to maintain her hold on him, and used her grasp to slam him into the ground, then the cliffside, and flung his body outward. Weiss was furious with herself. She glanced at the blade lodged in her shoulder. She deflected it away from her chest, but it still managed to sink in quite a bit.

Weiss had gotten into scuffles before, but rarely with groups and never with trained killers. She berated herself—all this time away from home, and she was still just a sheltered princess. She was so upset with herself, she could almost be sick!

Actually, she did feel sick. She tried to figure out why when she became so dizzy she couldn’t stand. Laying on the ground, Weiss realized—the blade was poisoned. 

She grabbed her flare and shot all three charges in the sky before blacking out.

* * *

Blake thought she had an interesting past. Not in a conceited way, but she was raised the future leader of her people, and subsequently threw that life away to run with the Fang—at least, until she realized that they were just as bad as the forces they claimed to fight. So, Blake figured she’d had her share of strange life experiences.

She was very, _very_ wrong.

She was somehow on friendly terms with a Schnee, and her expectations of the world have been flipped so terribly it wouldn’t surprise her if Ruby was able to to pull a city out from under her cloak and then stare at her like _she_ was the strange one.

Also, she met a crazy woman who gives exactly zero shits about getting hurt, as shown by her unflinching charge _into a circle of casting mages_ and continued fighting _despite being on fire_.

Yang’s crazy display was useful, however, as she drew the bulk of attention which allowed Blake sneak around and take out unsuspecting stragglers. They made quick work of the mages, though none were left alive enough to interrogate.

“Sorry, bad habit,” Yang apologized with Blake brought that up, “I just…I don’t want to leave anyone able to still hurt anyone, y’know?”

Blake had been expecting Yang to cite her temper and was thrown by the comment.

She continued looting the bodies silently for a moment before replying, “We all protect the people we care about in different ways. You already know you’re going overboard, so that’s a step in the right direction at least.”

Yang blushed, “Aw, Blakey thank—

“Yang! Flirt later! Weiss is hurt!"Ruby voice emitted from the band around Yang’s neck, “Help me bring her to Penny!”

The pair looked at each other and took off at a sprint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ruby's ball o' chains is inspired by Manners, from Critical Role
> 
> Half the fun of this chapter was naming all of Ruby's things—some of her more standard stuff has a standard name, but Ruby doesn't know that. Plus, she is Yang's sister, so she enjoys her own kind of wordplay.
> 
> Eyeby - A portmanteau of "eye" and "ruby". These are about the size of a gumball, and Ruby can leave them in places and use them as beacons to scry/look through later. They don't have any kind of alarm system, however, which is why she used an Arcane Lock in the tavern and a separate Alarm ritual for the camp
> 
> Punchline - Ruby refuses to call them that (mostly from sulking over not coming up with it first). The wraps help protect Yang's fists, and she can spend charges to have force energy shoot forward. She has a limited number of charges that reset every day.
> 
> Who's There? - Ruby's door knocker. When knocked the first time, it links the target door to the space it hangs in. The second knock...knocks on the door. Once used, it requires a week to recharge. 
> 
> See-Go room - Ruby sets the door destination using the mirror. It's a one-way portal, and can also only go to places Ruby's been to
> 
> Rubaboom - Explosive balls that have a countdown timer Ruby can start by touching them. If they're already primed, they may go off early if jostled/hit too hard. Otherwise, they'll only explode under extreme heat when they're dormant.
> 
> Rose Band- An enchanted piece of jewelry that can allow its wearer to Send a message to linked bands up to twice a day. Wearers can also focus on their band to sense the status of linked bands, and the location of the last Send from each band. Ruby made bands for Qrow and Yang.


	8. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She bolted for the clearing, pushing herself as hard as she could—this was her fault! She could have gone with Weiss. She could have had Penny come help.
> 
> There were so many things she could have done, and if Weiss was hurt because she didn't…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/7/18] minor revisions

Cold.

So very cold. 

Weiss was…cold?

* * *

The Schnee family estate was tucked away on the outskirts of Blekvorst. While the entire kingdom was made of snow and ice, Schnee Manor stood atop the coldest mountain in Fraeja. Weiss’ father had the manor built there shortly after her grandfather passed. Weiss, still very young at the time, didn’t understand why they had to move: she loved living in their city home—even without Grandfather.

Her Grandfather, Nicolas Schnee, had built his home within the capital; he enjoyed being near the flurry and bustle—”people are the heart of a kingdom”. The majority of her memories with him took place in his cozy home. He always lit the hearth well before her visits, and would bundle her up in soft blankets and quilts at the slightest sniffle.

Nicholas Schnee was just as warm as he kept his home. Every time she and Winter came for a visit, he greeted them by scooping them up in his arms and twirling them as they giggled. Whenever she was upset, he would swaddle her in his largest blanket and hold her as she cried. When her tears stopped flowing, he would press a kiss to her forehead and tell her how much he loved his tiniest Snowflake.

Nicholas Schnee was the warmest man Weiss knew, which is why she knew something was wrong when he felt cold. She didn't know why Grandfather was in a strange bed in a different place—why was Mother so sad? She understood once she climbed onto his bed to give him a hug—she’d never felt his skin so cold before. Even when he took her out to see the city and held her hand as they saw their own breath, his grasp was warm and comforting.

Days later, her mother dressed her in black as they watched Grandfather join his wife in the stars. Just weeks after that, Jacques dragged his mourning wife and children out of the city to the new manor.

Weiss’ mother had withdrawn by then. In their new home, Weiss would sometimes see her mother sitting alone in an empty room, often with her grandfather’s scarf. The first few times, Weiss had brought her mother blankets and tried to hug her like Grandfather had shown her, but her mother pushed her away and told her to stop.

Father had become different too. She didn't see him often before since he had always been away for work. After they moved to Schnee Manor, Father was almost always home and he became strict with his children. Weiss had started private lessons already, but Father changed all her tutors to new ones who didn't care if she was sad or cold or tired.

Weiss matured quickly after Grandfather had passed—she had to, in order to fulfill Father’s ever increasing expectations. She wasn't the only one who suffered: as the eldest sibling, Winter dealt with the brunt of Jacques’ ire. He had started expanding the crystal mines once Nicholas has passed, and he pushed her into managing the day to day operations while he negotiated backroom deals. Winter eventually stood up to their father, and joined an exploration expedition to get away.

After Winter left, Weiss couldn't escape the cold. No matter where she went or how many blankets she curled up in, there was always a cold, empty spot in her chest. It was worst on the days she had to herself. Without lessons or tasks to occupy her mind, she could notice how empty the manor was, so silent she could hear her own heart beat. The stone walls closed in on her and turned to ice, a frozen prison dressed as a castle.

The icy walls cooled the remaining sparks of flame within her. She couldn't get warm—she’d never be warm again, she’d be frozen forever, alone in her icy cage.

Cold, always so cold.

…

…

“—ss!”

Was someone calling her?

“—ake up!“

Why would they bother, didn't they know she was stuck here?

“Please!“

Why couldn't she just be left to her misery?

“…cold…—by“

Yes, she was cold. She was very…

Warm?

***

Ruby dropped an Eyeby by the restrained body and took off toward the cliff. The fastest way was to cut through the clearing where they set up camp—which could be dangerous if there were still archers around. She bolted for the clearing, pushing herself as hard as she could—this was her fault! She could have gone with Weiss. She could have had Penny come help.

There were so many things she could have done, and if Weiss was hurt because she didn't…

Ruby snapped her focus back to the cliff ahead. She pulled out Crescent Rose as a crossbow, and tied a rope to the bolt.

She shot the bolt and it impacted a few feet below the top—not the best, but it would do. She dropped the other end of the rope and staked it to the ground before taking a deep breath. If something went wrong when she was high up, Yang would _kill_ her—if she wasn't dead already.

She changed Crescent Rose into a flat rectangle with handles, placing her on the rope. The metal stuck to the rope and didn't slide or tip over. Ruby sat side saddle on the seat, gripping the handles tightly before pushing off with her feet.

She slid sideways slowly for a moment, then the magic kicked in and she was shooting along the rope towards the cliff top. She focused on the rope, and managed slow herself before splatting into the cliff. Still holding onto Crescent Rose, she altered its shape into a quarterstaff, which pushed her just over the edge.

She scrambled to her feet and scanned the scene. It looked like the area was clear, did they grab her and run? Where were all the—

“Weiss!”

Weiss lay on the ground, an arm bleeding and a knife in her shoulder. Her eyes were closed and she was curled into herself, shaking.

Ruby ran over to her, sliding to crouch at her side.

“Weiss, wake up!”

Ruby only knew basic first aid, she didn't know what to do besides stopping the bleeding.

“Weiss! Please!”

Ruby pulled cloth from her bag to wrap Weiss’ arm. She was shocked at the first touch, because Weiss was so _cold_. Ruby panicked before seeing Weiss’ chest rise and fall, and became even more relieved when she noticed Blake next to her.

Blake scanned Weiss’ body and then focused on the knife. She sniffed, then narrowed her eyes.

“Don’t let her stay cold, Ruby. This is iceblood.”

Ruby had no idea what iceblood was, but she threw off her cloak and started wrapping Weiss into it. Blake gave up her cloak as well, and Ruby managed to hold Weiss without disturbing her wounds.

Ruby could barely breathe, her entire being focused on keeping Weiss warm. The tension slowly bled out of Ruby as Weiss stopped shaking and breathing became more relaxed.

“Wait. Where’s Yang? And how did you get here so quickly?”

Blake had also slid towards Weiss to keep her warm, though not quite as close, “We were running over here and then your sister apologized before throwing me at the cliff.”

Ruby’s eyes widened.

“I knew you’d be fine, cats always land on their feet, right?”

Yang popped out a few feet away, “Penny managed to See-Go me here and she’s preparing a bed for Weiss.”

“Yang!” Ruby shouted, still processing the situation, “Do you think you could carry Weiss down the cliff with a rope?”

“Ruby, she still has a knife in her,” Blake said, “I don't know if she could rappel and keep her steady.”

Yang frowned, but nodded, “I don't want to make things worse.”

“But it could take an hour to get down by going around!” Ruby argued, “And we don't know if these guys have backup!”

No, Ruby shouldn't lash out at her sister. This was her fault.

“I have a zip line set up, and I managed to get here with it,” she continued in a calmer tone, “I just can’t hold onto Crescent Rose _and_ Weiss while sliding, but you can!”

“Uh, won’t I still go splat? I can’t slow it, and if it's vertical I might as well hop off.”

“I can shoot a new one at an angle so you won't go too fast,” Ruby replied, “And if I hold onto the rope from up here I can slow you.”

Yang chewed her lip, “Blake, what’s your take?”

“The knife in her has traces of iceblood,” Blake said, “It would be best to get it out of her quickly, so we can focus on warming her.”

Ruby looked desperately at both of them, still holding Weiss. Yang nodded and reached out to pick her up. She walked over to the edge, carrying Weiss bridal style.

Ruby was already there, pulling the old line out and shooting another rope. The other end landed near the summoned door, and she quickly set Crescent Rose up on the rope.

Yang briefly placed Weiss on the ground and partially unwrapped one of her hand wraps, “Could you tie this to one of the handles?”

It took a minute for Ruby to tie the wrap to Crescent Rose and safely tie Weiss to Yang. Yang nodded at Ruby and gently pushed off. Ruby took hold of the Speed Line as Yang gained in speed, her eyes glowing brightly as she sent magic through the rope.

She leaned back with a sigh of relief when Yang landed safely and rushed Weiss through the door.

“Do you have a plan for us?” Blake asked.

Ruby nodded. Yang left Crescent Rose behind with her hand wrap, so Ruby managed to hold the rope and send it back. Blake slid down first, then Ruby, who tore down the rope and shoved Blake and Zwei through the door. Ruby made sure everyone was inside before pulling the knocker off.

With the door still open inward, the view outside suddenly shifted from the clearing to a grassy plain. Ruby shut the door and shoved the knocker away before tugging Blake further into the home.

“Salutations,Ruby and Blake!” Penny greeted, “I have placed Weiss in the guest room. The blade was removed and her wounds have been dressed. Unfortunately, “iceblood” is not described in my records, so I cannot produce an antidote.”

“There isn't an antidote. She just needs to let it work through her system,” Blake said, “It’s not the deadliest of venoms, intentionally. Treat it like hypothermia and she should recover in a day or two.”

Ruby breathed a sigh in relief, “Oh, that’s good. Penny, could you get more stuff to keep her warm? I’m going to check on her.”

Penny hurried off and Ruby led Blake to the guest room. Yang was inside, standing with her arms crossed and a grim expression. She turned towards the door as the other two enter, and immediately pulled Ruby into a crushing hug.

Ruby let Yang have a moment before tapping her arms to be released. “Yang? I can stay with Weiss. Could you show Blake around?”

Yang looked at Ruby again and nodded before leading Blake out of the room. Ruby pulled a chair up to Weiss’ bed after they left, staring at her still form. Ruby could feel that old panic slowly welling up inside her— _was she still breathing?—_ until Weiss mumbled in her sleep.

Ruby slumped in the chair and unclipped all her bags. As the weight and adrenaline fell away, Ruby felt exhaustion seep into her. She hadn't managed to get any sleep before all of this, and now her magic reserves were running dry.

Penny returned with blankets and a heat pack. Ruby moved to help but was pushed back into her seat.

“Please remain seated, Ruby,” Penny said, “I can care for Weiss and Zwei if you would like to start your sleep cycle.”

“Thanks Penny,“ Ruby said, “But I should stay here, Weiss might be afraid if she wakes up somewhere unfamiliar.”

“I see! You present a valid argument, Ruby,” Penny said, “I shall retrieve your cot from the workshop before I remove Zwei from his restraints.”

“Penny you don't have to bring the cot, I can just sit—”

Ruby stopped when Penny turned and gave her a _look_. The last time she argued with Penny about taking care of herself, she was unable to find any cookies for a week—even in town! Ruby wasn't sure how Penny managed to accomplish that, but she tried to keep better habits since.

Penny turned back finished wrapping Weiss with more blankets, tucking the heat pack in between two layers. She left briefly to fetch Ruby’s cot, and found her asleep in her chair.

Penny placed the cot near Weiss’ bed before lifting her friend into it. Ruby briefly woke and tucked herself in and tried to reach for Weiss’ bed. Penny slid the cot over before she could fall and cocked her head inquisitively.

“…keep warm,” Ruby mumbled. Her cot was now pressed up against the bed, and Ruby had her hand on top of Weiss’ blankets. Penny waited for an elaboration, but was only answered with the sounds of deep breathing.

Penny brought Ruby's bag with her when she left, shutting the door quietly behind her.

* * *

Now that the danger had passed—for her at least—Blake’s mind finally allowed itself to feel confusion.

“Uh, where are we exactly?” Blake’s voice came out more nervously than she intended.

Yang didn't seem to notice, “This is our house, in Seldwyn. You can bunk in my room and I’ll share with Ruby until we figure out what we’re going to do.”

They teleported to Seldwyn? It wasn't terribly far, all things considered, but Blake wasn't familiar with the area—which would hinder her if she decided to leave.

“Thank you.” As Yang said, they could wait—at least until the morning.

Yang seemed distracted—she was being oddly quiet. Perhaps she was tired, like Blake, who was ready to curl up on the carpet and call it a night. When they arrived at Yang’s room, she lent Blake some sleeping clothes and remained eerily quiet up until she was about to leave.

“Good night, Blake. I’m glad you're safe,” Yang said. She turned and left before Blake could reply.

Blake listened to Yang's footsteps slowly fade away while she sat on the bed. She was conflicted over how to feel. She hadn't been _home_ _—_ if she could still call Menagerie home—in so long, she hadn't even been able to stay in one spot for more than a few weeks since she left.

Yet here she was, tangled up in some crazy mess and sitting in someone else’s _home_. Blake could tell the room was well-lived in. The walls were decorated with sketches of dragons and fighters in various poses—most likely Ruby’s work. Her dresser had various brushes and vials of cosmetic oils, and the whole room was filled with Yang scent.

There is something deeply uncomfortable about being someone who tries to actively forget their own home while sitting in someone else's. Blake was waiting for the other shoe to drop, to find out what the catch was—she hadn't deserved to go home in a long time, and this facade of comfort taunted her.

While her mind spun in circles, her body was—thankfully—exhausted, and she fell asleep once her head hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks, not sure how I feel how this chapter turned out. I've been wanting to show bits and pieces of everyone's backstory—so here's a part of Weiss'
> 
> If want to be extra sad, imagine a little Weiss hefting a pile of blankets that weighs more than her across the manor— only to be rejected by her mother, so she has to sadly carry them all back. She tries to, but they're so big and heavy and she's so tired and sad so she just makes her own nest in a nearby room until someone comes to make her clean it up. 
> 
> I'm not sad, you're sa—... Nah I'm sad too.


	9. A New Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang unlocks her own tragic backstory. 
> 
> Blake settles into the Rose-Xiao Long residence. 
> 
> Weiss gets the blanket hugs she deserves.
> 
> Ruby is the ultimate hot water bottle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/7/18] minor revisions
> 
> Ooh boy, this one was a WHOPPER. I need to eventually revise the earlier chapters, but I make a passing reference to Ruby's half-elven heritage. Yang is human, and Weiss is an elf. 
> 
> Not critical information for this chapter, but something to keep in mind going forward. 
> 
> I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who's been leaving feedback and reading. It's been exciting to share this with you all, and I hope you continue to enjoy the ride!
> 
> EDIT: Special thanks to Kuchenjaeger for spotting typos!

Yang still remembers looking upon her childhood home and seeing nothing but soot and ash. Though most of the fires had died out, the acrid stench of smoke was everywhere. In hindsight, she should have been thankful for that—it covered up the smell of rot and decay.

She and Uncle Qrow had travelled to the main city—they were running some sort of mundane errand, she couldn’t recall—and saw plumes of black smoke on the horizon during the return trip. It was usually three day’s hike from where they were, but the two rushed back as fast as they could.

They were still too late, much too late. When they finally saw the wreckage left behind, Yang had broken down in sobs—there was no way anyone was left. Qrow had charged in anyways, pulling her with him. He scanned the rubble as they ran through the village, but almost everything was burnt to the ground. Once or twice Qrow thought he spotted something, only to find an unrecognizable body after digging through the the debris.

Yang felt like it was an eternity before they reached home—and then she wished she never made it there. The house, like the rest of the town, was nothing more than charred wood and rubble. Qrow fell to his knees when he saw it as well, and averted his niece’s eyes when he saw bodies in the yard. They remained like that for a few moments, Qrow holding his niece to his chest—shielding the last of his loved ones.

Even in his grief, Qrow noticed low sounds coming from the house. He stood and pushed Yang behind him, facing the remains of the house. He pulled his sword from its scabbard and scanned the yard, but only saw the bodies. All three of them.

Wait…three?

“RUBY!?” Qrow shouted, “RUBY WHERE ARE YOU!”

Yang reacted to his shouts, looking up towards the house as well. She shook out of her stupor—all she could think about was finding Ruby. She pushed Qrow aside and rushed into the house.

“Yang! Wait, it’s not safe!”

She ignored him, running towards where she knew Ruby would be. She found the cellar door burnt, but still mostly intact. It was partially covered in debris and she started shoving it aside, shouting at the door, “RUBY! RUBY IT’S ME!”

Qrow caught up to Yang and started moving aside rubble as well. It took them a few minutes to clear the door, Yang’s hope dropping the longer time passed without a reply from Ruby. She reached out to open the door, but was stopped by a firm arm.

“Wait. Let me check, just in case,” Qrow said. If there was a raider trapped down there, he would protect Yang. If Ruby was down there…he still might have to protect Yang.

Yang backed away, sniffling and wiping at her face—leaving sooty smudges on her nose. Qrow gingerly opened the door with one hand, sword in the other. The cellar was dimly lit—a promising sign. He slid down the ladder and glanced around the room. It was empty at first glance, but he heard a sniff come from under Ruby’s workbench.

He walked over slowly, his sword still raised. He crouched and peered under and spotted a red bundle underneath.

“Ruby!”

The bundle shook at the shout. A small face poked out from underneath the cloth to look back, at first afraid before the bundle began sobbing and shaking.

“I c- I’m sorry Unc-Uncle Qrow,” Ruby was barely comprehensible, “I didn’t—I was scared!”

Qrow sheathed his sword and reached both his arms underneath the table, scooping her into his arms. She was small enough that he could climb the ladder with her over his shoulder. When Yang spotted the limp, red form over Qrow’s shoulder, her mind jumped to the worst possibility.

“Ruby! Are you—Is she okay!?” Yang cried, worried her hopes were about to be crushed.

Ruby sniffled again on Qrow’s shoulder and gave a hoarse reply, “I’m okay, Yang.”

Yang charged over to pick up her sister, allowing Qrow to finish climbing out of the cellar. She looked down at Ruby: her eyes were ringed red and her hair was greasy, but she seemed otherwise unharmed. Ruby turned in Yang’s arms to give her a hug, and the two sat like that—together on the floor in the ruins of their home—until Qrow got their attention.

“We can’t stay here too long,” he said in a low voice, “For a day, at most, but that’s still pushing it.”

Ruby kept her head buried in Yang’s shoulder, but Yang turned to look at their Uncle.

“But…but what about Mom..and Dad? And Ma?” she asked, “We can’t just…we can’t just leave them!”

Qrow looked at her with sad eyes, “I know Sparkbug, I don’t want to leave them either. But they would want you all safe, and I know Su…your Mom Summer would kick my ass from Munwind to Fraeja if anything happened to you two.”

Yang gave a watery chuckle, “Not Ma or Dad?”

“Oh no, they’d just sit and watch the show,” he replied with a wry grin, “Maybe make bets on how long until Summer knocked me out.”

Yang smiled softly at his statement and checked on Ruby again. Ruby had already fallen asleep, her arms still loosely wrapped around Yang. Qrow picked up Ruby and walked the two over to a clear space in the village. He motioned for Yang to sit against a low wall and placed Ruby back in her lap, and handed her a whistle.

“Watch Ruby for a second,” he said, “If _anything_ happens, or even if you just _think_ there’s something around, blow the whistle and hide. I’ll be right back, but hold onto this just in case.”

Qrow gave Yang his dagger, handle first before walking back from where they came. Half an hour later, Yang saw smoke coming up from the house and blew the whistle. She started looking for a hiding place and got to her feet, but stopped when she saw her Uncle dashing towards her.

“Where!?” he shouted, sword drawn and ready.

“There’s smoke!” Yang shouted, pointing at the stack. All the activity had woken Ruby, who had started shaking and clinging to Yang.

Qrow relaxed and sheathed his blade, “Sorry. I should have told you, I just didn’t want you to…I was taking care of your parents. Giving them a send off.”

Yang didn’t understand his words until she really saw her Uncle. His eyes were sad and he was covered in dirt and some soot. Grief hit her once more—it felt real now. They were gone… _really_ gone. Yang couldn’t breathe, her throat closing on her and her chest tight. Qrow gently sat her down before joining her on the ground.

“I’m sorry dragonfly.”

“I’m sorry too Uncle Qrow.”

* * *

Yang woke up crying. It was always hard remembering her losses—she used to joke with Ruby that they had an extra parent for extra fun, but now…they only had Uncle Qrow. He did his best to take care of them—he just wasn’t really meant to raise children. Thankfully, they were welcomed by the community when they moved to Patch, so the girls could rely on friendly neighbors to fill in the gaps of Qrow’s parenting.

She sat up and took in her surroundings. There were sketches of various devices and abstract diagrams all over the walls, and large desk filled with bits of metal and stone—she was in Ruby’s room. She turned to look for her sister, but only found an empty space in the bed.

An old voice in the back of her head whispered to her—you left Ruby, you _left_ Ruby! Yang pushed the voice away—sometimes Ruby woke up early to tinker or because she was hungry. She hurriedly dressed and walked downstairs to look for her sister.

The kitchen was empty, and didn't seem used recently. The backyard and Ruby’s workshop was empty too. The voice taunted her again, stirred the panic in her chest.

Maybe Ruby went out of the house? Yang searched the kitchen and foyer for a note, but didn't find anything. She hadn't run into Penny yet, so maybe they were catching up in there?

Yang’s heart clenched when she saw a note on Penny’s door—she left for the market an hour ago. Yang ran back to Ruby’s room, maybe she missed a note there—but it was bare.

Yang decided to just check every room in the house. She peeked into her own room and only saw Blake, asleep. Both the bathrooms and the See-Go room were empty too. Yang’s eyes were wet as she approached the guest room—if Ruby wasn't here, Yang had no idea where she was.

The door creaked open and Yang fears were banished—Ruby was with Weiss. Ruby was safe. She gently closed the door and walked into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She set a kette to boil and was about to check the pantry when she was startled by a voice.

“Good morning, Yang,” Blake said, “Do you need help?”

“Oh! Blake, you scared me,” Yang replied, “I don't know what’s in the pantry, but I was going to make some rice porridge—Weiss should be able to eat that, right?”

Blame nodded, “Yeah. Like I told Penny, just treat it like hypothermia until she’s better.”

“What exactly does it do? Should we be worried if more of those guys come at us?” Yang said, rummaging through their pantry and icebox, “Oh, Penny visited the butcher, nice.”

“Iceblood is just what it sounds like—it stays in your bloodstream and leeches heat. It's usually used if you want someone to suffer or die slowly, since it's too weak to freeze you,” Blake's answered, “Weiss might take longer to recover because the blade went in rather deep, but if the cut is shallow you can burn it out quickly

“Burn it out?” Yang asked as she started cooking, “Like…set yourself on fire?”

“Not that literal, just keep the iceblood from dropping your temperature and it'll burn out faster,” Blake replied, “Do you want help now? I know my way around a knife.”

Yang nodded, “Please do! Have you ever prepared kidneys before? If not, I can handle that if you want to cut the onions and boil some eggs.”

“I’ve butchered live game,” Blake replied, already walking toward the meat.

Yang nodded and showed her where the knives and cutting boards were. The two cooked together, making quiet conversation with Yang giving Blake occasional direction. Eventually, Yang had a pot of rice porridge keeping warm with toppings set aside. Besides the kidneys and egg, Yang had cooked some chicken, fried tofu, and grilled fish with Blake’s help. Yang poured them both cups of tea and led Blake to the dining area.

“Go ahead and start eating,” Yang said, “I’m going to bring some to Weiss and wake Ruby up.”

Blake nodded and sipped her tea. She didn't mind waiting if it meant she'd have company while eating.

* * *

Blake had woken when she heard a door open. She feigned sleep, but didn't see who was at the door before it closed and she heard footfalls fade away. She opened her eyes to scan her surroundings.

It took her a moment to realize where she was, and then she relaxed. Yang had probably just forgotten that Blake was here and wanted something from her room. She stretched and stood up—if Yang was awake, she might as well get up too.

Yang seemed engrossed in her task, moving swiftly around the kitchen. She jumped a bit when Blake greeted her, which was understandable—Blake has forgotten to make noise while walking here.

Yang mentioned Weiss, and Blake's mind drifted to _why_ she knew so much about iceblood. The Fang used it sometimes when they wanted information. Other times they used it on _special_ targets.

Blake's hasn't ever used it—if she was going to kill, she had the mercy to make it quick—but Adam had used it often when they were in Fraeja. He called it “poetic justice” for the greedy mine barons who left their workers—a good portion were Faunus—out in the cold.

Thankfully, helping Yang cook breakfast pulled her out of that dark space. She hadn't had a home-cooked meal in a long time—even longer since she's had a kitchen to cook in. Blake had never abandoned knife work, however, and impressed Yang with how quickly she filleted fish and cleaned the kidney. She smiled when Yang complimented her—”Wow, your knife skills are as _sharp_ as your wit, huh.”

Once everything was finished cooking, Yang helped Blake fix up a bowl before taking care of her own and a bowl for Weiss. After Yang left to go wake Ruby, Blake sipped her tea while she waited.

It was almost odd how uncomfortable she was yesterday compared to now. If she had to describe it, she felt uneasy about feeling safe—which was also strange, but made complete sense at the time.

Yang’s home, however, was much like the woman herself. Despite Blake’s original misgivings, everything around her was welcoming, inviting. Yang had fed her without even considering to ask for anything in return—Blake even had to ask Yang to let her help!

Maybe that was what made Blake want to stick with the quirky sisters. They weren't jaded and cynical. Blake doesn't regret the hard choices she’s had to make—they kept her alive. Sometimes, though, she misses being optimistic.

Blake remembered what Yang had mentioned about their past, and it changed her perspective of the sisters. They both experienced such loss and yet they were still so… giving. Blake felt guilty that she hadn't contacted her parents in years, too afraid of rejection.

Maybe she could try now. Not right this moment, of course, especially not when she still has to deal with…whoever is after them. But soon, she would try. Her parents would like Ruby and Yang…probably Weiss too.

Blake’s musings were interrupted when she heard indignant squawking from the direction Yang headed to earlier. At least that meant Weiss was feeling better.

* * *

Weiss’ mind was full of cotton. She remembered being _cold_ and then warm, and suddenly she felt jostled all over until she was put somewhere soft and warm again.

She wanted to thank whoever made it warm, but she’s not sure if she actually got the words out or not. She felt herself being tucked into piles of blankets, and she was so _warm_ and comfortable it almost would have been rude to not fall asleep.

So she fell asleep, deeply.

…

…

Weiss was cold again. Not _cold_ but still not pleasantly warm like before. She wriggled in place—she was still wrapped in blankets, so why wasn't it warm?

Her movements knocked something down, but she couldn't tell with her eyes closed. Whatever it was though, it was warmand it was right next to her. Her body felt so heavy—she couldn't even open her eyes—but she _needed_ whatever that warm thing was!

Oh, it was closer now. Earlier it seemed so small, but now she could practically curl herself around it. Whatever it was, it was soft and warm and smelled nice, so she wrapped herself tighter around it and fell back asleep.

* * *

Ruby woke up tangled in something. She racked her brain to remember whether it would be safe to move or not—if it was Yang, squirming only made her squeeze harder.

Ruby didn't sleep in Yang’s bed last night though, or vice versa. She wanted to stay in the guest room with—

Weiss!

Ruby blinked her eyes open. She distinctly remembered Penny mentioned her cot, and a cautious peek behind her showed that it was there. She’s pretty sure she slept there last night, too—so how did she end up in Weiss’ bundle of blankets?

Penny had wrapped Weiss quite well in order to trap heat more effectively, so even if Ruby moved in her sleep, she wouldn't be able to get here.

In any case, Ruby figured it was best she leave gently—she didn't think Weiss would appreciate her being there. Well-practiced in the art of escaping Yang, Ruby started gingerly wiggling out of Weiss’ hold.

She didn’t make it far, however, before she heard a soft grumble she was pulled back in by an unseen force.

Ah. That explains a lot.

Ruby accepted needing to face Weiss whenever she woke up. All things considered, she didn’t mind being her half-elf water bottle. Ruby resigned herself to her fate and closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

…

…

“Ruby, breakfast’s ready! Wake up Weissicle too, I brought hers with me.” Yang blithely strode into the room, carrying a tray with a covered bowl, a spoon, and an open bowl with toppings. “But she can join us if she’s up…for…”

Ruby could practically _feel_ Yang’s eyes on the back of her head.

“I’m not sure if I should high five you or box your ears for taking advantage of Weiss.”

“No! I didn’t do anything, she moved me in her sleep!” Ruby hissed, “Just…please leave the bowl and we’ll be out soon? Oh god this is so embarrassing.”

Ruby heard Yang set the tray on a dresser before her hair was gently ruffled.

“It’s alright Rubydoobie, you’ve seen me in much worse,” Yang snickered, having the last laugh as she exited.

Ruby frowned, she really had. She didn’t need to be reminded of it though. Awkward thoughts aside, Ruby seemed to have a bigger problem as Weiss seemed to be waking up.

“Mrrm…shhhhhh loud.”

Ruby could barely stifle her giggles, but the shaking of her body seemed to bother Weiss anyways.

“Shh shhhhhhhh!”

A hand flopped in the direction of Ruby’s face, though the aim was off so Weiss was just plopping her hand against Ruby’s shoulder.

“Weiss, I know you want to sleep more but you gotta eat,” Ruby whispered, “You can go back to sleep right after.”

“Hrrmm…no.” Weiss buried her head further into Ruby’s torso, “Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.”

Ruby sighed. Weiss was still recovering so she wanted to be gentle, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Mrmm! Hey! That tick-hahaha-stop!” Weiss sounded much more awake now.

Ruby stopped tickling Weiss, “Sorry Weiss, but you need to wake up and eat.”

Weiss’ eyes shot open and she stared at Ruby in shock.

“Ruby!? Why are you—” Weiss started screeching and thrashing in place. Ruby quickly untangled herself and pulled away.

Ruby saw Weiss taking a breath, ready to berate her—she quickly covered her mouth with her palm and spoke over the muffled protests, “I’m sorry if that was awkward for you! I was sleeping on a cot next to you to make sure you’d be okay, but I woke up cuddling you. You moved me back in your sleep when I tried to leave so I just stayed!”

Weiss’ protests faded and were quickly replaced by a furious blush. Ruby removed her hand since Weiss had calmed.

“I…apologize for how I reacted then,” Weiss mumbled, “And now that I’m a little more awake, I’m rather embarrassed that I just shouted at you when you probably saved me from dying.”

Ruby shrugged, “It was a misunderstanding, don’t worry about it. More importantly, do you think you can join us for breakfast? If not, Yang already brought you some here.”

“I don't really know? I don't feel sluggish or sick, just cold,” Weiss replied.

Ruby frowned, “Blake said the dagger had “iceblood” on it. I don't know the details, but we need to keep you warm until it's out of your system.

As she spoke, Ruby started absentmindedly wrapping blankets around Weiss, before she noticed what she was doing and pulled away, “Sorry! You just said you were cold, but Yang taught me to respect personal space so I should have asked.”

“You're fine, Ruby. Really, I shouldn't have blown up at you earlier,” Weiss looked away, “You didn't do anything wrong.”

“Okay, Weiss. Just… You don't need to make yourself uncomfortable just because I helped you, okay?” Ruby said, “I’ll go tell Yang we’re eating in here.”

Ruby walked out before Weiss could tell her she would be fine alone. Which was good, since Weiss wouldn't actually be fine alone.

She nestled further into the blankets while she waited. Awkward awakening aside, Weiss hadn't slept so comfortably in years—which was a little sad when you considered that she was also poisoned. Ruby was probably going to take some time to return, so Weiss tried to at least help where she could.

Since leaving her cocoon was out of the question, Weiss looked to see if there was anything she could tidy up. The blankets from Ruby’s cot were messy, but there wasn't much aside from that. She focused and lifted one blanket up, then shook it gently before folding it neatly into quarters. She repeated the same for the next blanket, and was in the middle of floating them into a neat stack when Ruby returned.

“Oh! Thanks, Weiss! You didn't have to,” Ruby said, “Though it looked pretty cool.”

Ruby was holding a tray similar to the one Yang left on the dresser, though hers had two small boxes. She set her tray next to Weiss’ and moved the cot aside. The two boxes turned out to be Ruby’s portable table and chair, though the table was set to a comfortable eating height.

Ruby moved Weiss’ tray over—”I know you could get it, but sit down you were just stabbed last night“—before bringing her own over. She uncovered both bowls and set them aside.

“Are you going to eat with your hands tucked in there?” Ruby giggled, “I don't know if lifting stuff telekinetically is a lot of effort, but I can help if you want to stay bundled up”

What little warmth Weiss had rushed to her face, “I can feed myself, thank you. Something small like this is fine, don't worry.”

Weiss demonstrated, picking up her spoon and bopping Ruby on the nose with the handle before laughing. Ruby pouted, but quickly stopped so she could eat.

“I don't think I’ve had this dish before,” Weiss said, “Is there a proper way to eat it?”

Ruby swallowed, “It's rice porridge. On its own it can be plain, but the other bowl has meat you can add it to eat with it.”

Weiss nodded and used the spoon to place meat in her porridge before eating. The porridge was pleasantly hot, warming her with each bite. While Ruby was right about how bland it tasted plain, the meats were seasoned well to contrast it. One particular bite had a unique texture, and it took a moment for Weiss to place where she’d tasted it before.

“I haven't had any offal since I was a child,” she blurted out.

Ruby took her bite before responding, “What fall?”

“Offal. A term for organ meats. My… My Grandfather had a few offal dishes he enjoyed, and he shared them with me,” Weiss said, “However, after he passed away, my father refused to allow any such dishes to be served in the manor—it was beneath us, he claimed. I was too busy in Skolaris to eat anywhere beyond the campus canteen, too.”

“Well, Yang and I were raised to be adventurous eaters,” Ruby replied, “Yang is also friends with the butcher, so she gets all the good stuff that dumb people don't want.”

Weiss laughed a little at Ruby’s indirect jab at her Father.

“Speaking of Yang, I think she and Blake are going to come here when they finish eating,” Ruby continued, “We need to talk about what we wanna do.”

The conversation sobered then.

“I’m sorry.”

Two voices spoke simultaneously.

Weiss recovered first, “What would you need to apologize for? I’m not really sure how you saved me, but I’m the one who made a mistake. A mistake which turned me into a burden, and for that I apologize.”

“What? That makes no sense! I’m the one who sent you on your own to take on like, twenty guys! I should have come with you!” Ruby replied, continuing before Weiss could argue, “I’m not saying you're not strong. Even if you crushed all those guys in a second, I still should have been there!”

Ruby’s tone became heated, “Everyone makes mistakes. But I should have known better—it doesn't matter if you're the strongest in the world if there's no one there to help you when you slip up.”

Weiss remained silent, thinking over Ruby’s words. She understood her sentiment about mistakes—perfectionism was embedded in Weiss’ nature, but that didn't make it healthy. She didn't feel right allowing Ruby to blame herself either though.

“Ruby. Do you remember what you told me last night? ‘It’s not your fault you couldn't protect everyone’.”, Weiss said, Ruby joining her in reciting the rest.

_“It’s not my fault that some people do bad things. I can't control everything, but I can try my best and cherish what I have.”_

Weiss continued, “And if I'm allowed to make mistakes, then you are too, Ruby. We’re all okay now—really, I think I'm probably more annoyed than anything else at this point—and that’s what's important.”

Weiss poked an arm out of the blankets to place her hand on Ruby’s. Ruby remained quiet for moment, staring at the floor.

“Thanks, Weiss,” Ruby said in a small voice, “Is it okay if I come in there? I don't want your arm to get cold…it was also really comfy.”

Instead of answering, Weiss just opened the blankets and pulled Ruby to her side. She draped part of her blanket over Ruby and then pulled the freshly folded blankets to wrap around their fronts.

This left Weiss and Ruby sitting side by side against the headboard, blankets wrapped around everything but their heads. Between the hot soup and Ruby curled in her side, Weiss was _very_ cozy—and a little drowsy.

Weiss leaned her head onto Ruby’s shoulder and yawned, “Can I take a little nap? I feel warm again.”

Ruby turned her head to reply, but Weiss was already breathing deeply.

Ruby didn't mind keeping Weiss warm until the others came.

* * *

Soon after Weiss’ screeching died down, Yang returned—still chuckling from whatever happened—and sat across from her. Yang started eating, prompting Blake to do the same.

“Sounds like I missed the party,” Blake joked.

Yang’s grin widened, “Seems we were both late to the party.”

“Oh? Do tell,” Blake replied.

Yang swallowed before replying, “When I walked in, Ruby was swallowed up by Weiss’ blanket nest. Nothing but her little head poking out.”

“…That was fast.”

“A little _too_ fast,” Yang replied, “I almost boxed Ruby’s ears for being rude, but it turns out our Weissicle is a grabby telekinetic in her sleep.”

Blake laughed, “She didn't!”

“That’s what Ruby said,” Yang answered, “And I’ve met toddlers who could lie better than her.”

“Well, that's good to know,” Blake said, “I take it you handle all the contract negotiations usually?”

“Oh, yeah, definitely. I love Ruby to bits, but if it were up to her, she’d save a whole damn kingdom for free.”

Blake let that sink in. Yang might have been exaggerating, but Blake had already seen Ruby blow tons of resources to make sure she and Weiss would be safe.

“I admire your sister’s heart,” Blake said, “But it must mean a lot to have a sister like you looking out for her.”

“Aw Blake, you say the sweetest things,” Yang mock-swooned, “How can I resist your charm and honeyed words?”

Blake snorted and threw a napkin at Yang, “It’s too early in the morning to flirt.”

“So, you're okay if we continue this later tonight?” Yang shot back with a wide grin.

Blake rolled her eyes, “You’re terrible.”

“My terrible what?” Yang pulled an exaggerated smile and wagged her eyebrows.

“I’m sorry, where is the front door again?” Blake deadpanned.

Yang burst into laughter with Blake joining her soon after.

They continued chatting for the rest of their meal. Blake felt a weight being slowly pulled off her shoulders the more she spoke with Yang. She had thought for so long that even if she went home, she’d be too different—she wouldn't be able to connect with anyone.

Yet here she sat, somewhere in Seldwyn, chatting with a woman she met two days ago like old friends. Blake knew she and the others still needed to decide how to deal with the mess they stepped in, but she was in no rush to end this comfort.

After they finished eating, Blake offered to wash up, but Yang shooed her away from the dishes. She managed to talk Yang into letting her dry, and they fell into a steady rhythm. They chatted amicably and continued even after finishing the dishes, returning to the dining area.

Neither of them brought up their mutual trouble, the outside unpleasantness forgotten in favor of friendly company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did someone order some Yangst with a side of fluff? 
> 
> In case it wasn't clear—Yang and Ruby had three parents, Taiyang, Raven, and Summer.
> 
> ...I guess that means I killed off 75% of team STRQ, woops.  
> (I'll make it up to you guys if I feel up to writing some prequel drabbles?)  
> \---  
> I've gotten a lot of feedback about the pacing tor the story—which I totally agree with! For now, I'm going to adjust going forward. 
> 
> Thank you again for reading!


	10. Discussions and Salutations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ahhhhh I messed up!”
> 
> Weiss whined at the sudden noise and started patting her hand against Ruby’s face—she seemed to believe people had “silence” buttons when she was asleep.
> 
> “Weiss, I know you wanted to sleep, but we have to talk to Yang and Blake now!” Ruby said, “I’ll go get them and come right back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/10/18] Minor revisions

Ruby was unsure what the polite thing to do was in her situation.

She wanted to look at Weiss—just to check on her!—but didn’t want to be rude, or creepy. The urge was bolstered by restlessness, since she didn’t have anything to pass the time with, since she didn’t bring anything into Weiss’ blanket bundle.

Ruby indulged herself for just one glance. She hadn’t really noticed before, but Weiss was actually rather small. She remembered Mom being a little petite in comparison to Ma and Dad, but even by Elven standards, Weiss was pretty short. Ruby didn't really notice until now because of the way Weiss usually carried herself—puffed up and defensive, like a porcupine. Ruby giggled internally at the image of a tiny white porcupine with fluff instead of quills—maybe she could sketch that later. 

Weiss’ brow furrowed—as though she could sense herself being mocked. Ruby hoped Weiss’ telepathy wasn't that strong; she was pretty sure Weiss was still miffed with Yang about her “pint-size” remark. Weiss’ expression shifted into a pout, and Ruby felt Weiss float and sit sideways on her lap. Weiss’ expression relaxed as she wrapped arms around Ruby—who was starting to recognize a pattern. 

Ruby didn’t mind the cuddling though, she was just used to being the small one snuggling into her big sister. Ruby loved how strong her sister was—a younger Ruby was carried around whenever she wanted—but it bolstered her confidence to see Weiss trusting in _her_ strength. Ruby knew Weiss was powerful, maybe even more so than Yang in some ways, but she also knew how _exhausting_ it was to maintain a strong face. 

How long had it been since Weiss was allowed to be weak?

Ruby was reluctant to interrupt Weiss’ rest, but the planner in her knew that they needed to address their situation. The attack from last night set off a lot of red flags. Whoever was after them caught up way too quickly, and had strong numbers considering the time frame. They had at least one powerful magic user leading them, probably more mid-level and lower mages. She didn’t see how Yang and Blake handled the group from yesterday, but she suspected that they weren’t more than foot soldiers—which was an alarming though in itself. Who had enough resources to consider a dozen mages cannon fodder?

The other possibility was that their attackers were a special assault group—which presented its own concerns. They were just four random women—what did they see at the tavern to paint such a large target on them? They needed more information on who was after th—

“Ahhhhh I messed up!”

Weiss whined at the sudden noise and started patting her hand against Ruby’s face—she seemed to believe people had “silence” buttons when she was asleep.

“Weiss, I know you wanted to sleep, but we have to talk to Yang and Blake now!” Ruby said, “I’ll go get them and come right back.”

“No. Urghh.” Weiss grumbled and squeezed around Ruby harder. Her words came out slightly muffled against Ruby’s shoulder, “Sorry, I’m just really comfortable. Do you know how to cast a Tenser’s Disk? We can just go like this on one—I can cast one alone, it’d just be faster if you help.”

Weiss already started casting before waiting for an answer. Ruby had never tried cooperatively casting before; she didn’t even know it was a thing! Ruby focused her mind and tried to cast the ritual herself. Forming a Tenser’s Disk usually felt like squeezing air into a solid, but when she started casting she found the air already partially shaped; she also found that pressing the air felt easier than usual, and together the disk was created within seconds.

“Oh, wow,” Ruby said, “That was cool!”

Weiss looked at Ruby curiously, “The disk?”

“No, the way we made it together! I didn’t know that was a thing!”

“Sometimes I forget you don’t have any formal training,” Weiss replied, “One of the ways they taught higher level rituals at the Academy was by having students collaborate before attempting to perform them alone. I can manage simpler rituals on my own, but for anything requiring more than two arcanic orbitals or so is beyond me.”

“…two what?”

“It’s honestly remarkable how much you’ve accomplished without knowing any theory—however, I think you mentioned we needed to speak with the others?”

Ruby yelped as she felt herself suddenly lifted and floated over to the the disk, blankets and all. The loose ends were tucked underneath her before Weiss set them down.

“Shall we?”

* * *

Yang brought a fresh kettle of hot water to refill their tea pot. Blake had been drinking deeply from her cup, and Yang enjoyed being able to have someone to share her stash with. Ruby would drink tea _sometimes_ , but never outside of meals or for its own enjoyment. Yang picked up the habit from her Ma.

* * *

_When her parents realized how rambunctious their eldest was, they all tried to rein her in with different methods. Dad started teaching her how to fight despite Mom’s protests. Mom showed her how to garden—which Yang actually enjoyed now, but hated as a child._

_Ma was different though. Whenever Yang’s temper blew up, she would throw Yang over her shoulder, plop her in a chair, and make her a cup of tea. She’d put the mug in front of Yang still piping hot and tell her that Yang had to stay in that chair until she finished her tea._

_The first time, Yang tried to run off, but Raven would just put her back in the chair. The tea was stone-cold and bitter when Yang finally gave up and drank it, and Raven let her go. Yang had forgotten what made her so mad, but she was too exhausted to really remember._

_The second time, Yang tried to finish the tea as soon as it was set in front of her, but it was incredibly hot and she burned her tongue. She’d test the temperature periodically, wincing when hot tea touched her already burned tongue. Even when the tea had cooled to a drinkable temperature, the mild warmth still hurt her tongue so she had to wait until the tea went cold. She left the table with a burnt tongue and a bitter taste in her mouth._

_Yang repeated her mistakes a few more times—either walking away from the table worn out or with a burnt tongue. Fortunately, there was an instance where Yang managed to calm her anger enough to sit at the table without running or rushing her drink. She took small sips when it was too hot, and drank more deeply once it cooled to a comfortable temperature._

_The tea was much more enjoyable warm, when she didn’t have a stinging tongue. She sat quietly across from Raven, slowly drinking her tea until the cup was drained. She turned to get up before she was stopped by her Ma._

_“Hold on a moment, Sparkbug.”_

_“But I fini—!”_

_“Just a moment, Yang,” Raven continued, “I’m not punishing you—I haven’t been—I just want to know what you’ve learned.”_

_Yang settled back into her chair and frowned at her cup._

_“Tea sucks when it’s cold or too hot.”_

_Raven laughed, “That’s true! But do you think I had you drink tea just to learn that?”_

_“No…?” Yang looked up at her Ma, “I thought you just had me sit here to punish me for being mad.”_

_Raven reached across to ruffle Yang’s hair, “I didn’t mean to make it feel that way, Firefly. I just wanted to to learn a lesson on your own. I would never punish you for how you feel—I’m like you, I get mad pretty easily too.”_

_“…then why was I drinking tea?” Yang asked._

_“What happened when you tried to run away from you tea?”_

_“It tasted bad when I finally drank it?”_

_Raven smiled, “And what happened when you rushed into finishing your cup?”_

_“It hurt a lot!” Yang pouted._

_“I’m sorry it did, Firefly. But what happened when you sat here and waited?”_

_Yang hummed, “It didn’t taste too bad? It was pretty nice actually, and warm.”_

_Raven nodded, “Do you want to think a little about what I was trying to teach you?”_

_Yang nodded and furrowed her brow. Raven waited patiently, seeing her daughter’s expression scrunch in frustration before relaxing into mild confusion._

_“I don’t really know, Ma. Can you just tell me?”_

_“That’s okay, Firefly. I just wanted you to try first,” Raven ruffled her hair again,”I told you that i get mad a lot too, right?”_

_Yang nodded._

_“I used to get really mad a lot, and I’d do a lot of things I would regret later,” Raven continued, “Whenever I had a problem I would either rush in without thinking, or try to run away from it.”_

_A flicker of understanding came of Yang’s face, “Like what I did with the tea!”_

_Raven chuckled, “Exactly, Yang! It was just like that! Both of those things always made things worse. If I rushed into something without thinking, I ended up hurting myself or someone I cared about.”_

_Yang continued nodding in understanding._

_“But if I tried to ignore something that made me angry,” Raven said, “I couldn’t hide from it forever, and when I came back it was harder to deal with than before.”_

_“But if you thought about it and didn’t ignore it, then you could handle it better!” Yang finished._

_“That’s right, Firefly,” Raven smiled, “So the next time something or someone makes you really angry, you can come have a cup of tea with me, okay? You can sit with me and think, or you can tell me what’s bothering you and we can think of something together. If I’m not around, I’m sure your Mom and Dad would be willing to do the same”_

_“Okay, Ma,” Yang said, “…can we have another cup together?”_

* * *

Blake was sipping Yang’s tea—she didn’t recognize the blend—when she noticed motion by the door. Her ears flicked to attention and she sat up her chair—and proceeded to fall back into it laughing. Yang turned to follow Blake’s gaze and nearly burst into tears.

“ _Weiss_ to _Schnee_ you guys getting along so well,” Yang laughed, “Seems like you’re having a _ball_!”

“Wow. Never heard that one before.” Weiss deadpanned.

Blake added, “You’ve been taking good care of Weiss, Ruby. You really _Rose_ to the occasion.”

Weiss and Ruby groaned simultaneously.

“Yaang! We came out here to be serious and stuff” Ruby shouted, “You two were supposed to come to the guest room so we could talk.”

“Aw, sorry Rubes,” Yang said, “Blake and I lost track of time.”

“I left my warm bed because you two were too busy flirting?!” Weiss screeched.

Blake smirked, “I’m sorry our flirting cut into yours. Moving on, we really do need to discuss…well, a lot”

“Okay, first thing I need to get out before we decide anything,” Ruby said, “I _may_ have made a kind of big mistake?”

“Elaborate,” said Blake.

“Uh well, do you remember how I was supposed to deal with their probably leader guy? I kind of forgot him back there—but he’s tied up and stuff!”

Blake frowned, “That’s not… _terrible_. He might have had some information, but it wouldn’t have been reliable anyways.”

“He might squeal on us to his buddies though,” said Yang.

Blake shook her head, “Doesn’t matter. They managed to send in an attack group barely a day after we stumbled onto them. They already have an idea about who we are.”

“However, none of us have a clue who they are,” Weiss replied, “We only have a name. Does ‘Fall’ have any meaning to you three?”

“Nope,” Yang said, getting up to fix Weiss and Ruby some tea, “Ruby and I were new to that area though.”

“I was simply travelling through as well,” Weiss added.

“I’ve been mostly sticking to backwater villages and smaller outposts,” Blake said, “I filled a few bounty contracts on my way from Aikesh, but I haven’t heard that name either.”

“What if it’s not a name?”

Three faces looked curiously at Ruby. 

“I mean, I know the guy died after telling you that, but maybe he only thought it was a name. It could be a code word or something instead?” Ruby continued, “Or a code name, I suppose.”

Blake hummed, “That’s a possibility. Now, let’s focus on what we want to do—I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not particularly fond of having a target on my back.”

“Agreed, it’s not pleasant,” Weiss sniffed, “Especially since it seems anonymity won’t be a option.”

“Going after these guys might just make that target bigger though,” Ruby said, “We could lay low for a while?”

“That might work in the short term, but we don’t know how persistent these guys might be,” a shadow passed over Blake’s expression, “I think the only thing we can really do to help ourselves if get more information—either to take these guys out, or to find something to bargain with.”

A contemplative silence fell over the table.

“Ruby! Yang! I have completed my sales for the day!” a voice rang from the front door, “The town cleric is also prepared, should Weiss require his assistance!”

Soft thuds of metal on wood padded towards the kitchen.

“Oh! Salutations! I am pleased you appear to be well, Weiss!,” Penny greeted, carrying small sack, “It is wonderful to see you as well, Blake!”

“Ah, greetings to you as well…?” Weiss slipped into a formal tone, “…I apologize, I do not recall your name.”

“Do not worry Weiss!” Penny chirped, “Ruby has informed me of the frailty of organic memory! I am Penny, Ruby’s best friend!”

“Hey! What about me!”

“It a pleasure to make your acquaintance once more Weiss, Blake,” Penny spoke over Yang, “Ruby, may I present the results of today’s transactions?”

“Ah…Not when we have company, Penny?” Ruby said, rubbing her neck, “Could you just make a record in the ledger and then join us?”

“It will be my pleasure, Ruby!” Penny said while pulling a small quill from the sack, “I am arithmetic ready!”

The metallic figure walked away with a (possibly literally) spring in her step.

“Somehow an intelligent golem is practically expected from you at this point,” Weiss commented, sliding to sit at Ruby’s side instead of her lap.

“Oh, Ruby didn’t create Penny,” Yang said, “Though she did help fix her up. We found her some time ago—’Two years!’—uh, two years ago in some old ruins looking like a funky statue.”

“It was terrible! She’d been stuck there _forever_ because whoever made her told her to ‘stay and be quiet’ and then never came back!,” Ruby said, “Yang thought she could scare me with a ‘creepy statue’ but when I bumped into her I could _feel_ her.”

Yang snickered and winked at Weiss—who didn’t react.

Ruby continued blithely, “And her body was all crumbly and rusted, but it turned out Penny’s really just a box! It took a lot of effort to pry it out of her old body and disconnect the link to her old controller gem, but I did it and now she’s my friend!”

“Incorrect! I am your _best_ friend, Ruby!” Penny had returned and stood by Ruby and Weiss’ floating blanket nest, “Did your request for me to ‘join’ you require me inside the blankets?”

“No!” “No thanks”

Weiss realized her tone and composed herself, “I don't believe the disk could support all three of us.”

“I was going to say that too,” Ruby sheepishly grinned, “We would like you to join this conversation though. Have you ever encountered a mage cult led by a ‘Fall’?”

Penny stood still. It was easy to recognize how she could be mistaken for a statue in the dark. A moment passed before Penny tapped a fist onto her palm. 

“I do not recall any references to such a group of magic users, either in my own memory or from the knowledge I was created with,“ Penny replied, “I’m sorry I could not assist you, would you like for me to begin research?”

“Uh…we don't really know if that would be safe,” Ruby answered, looking at the other three. 

Blake shrugged. 

“I don’t see how it could be more dangerous than Penny living here,” Weiss said.

Yang replied, “Weissicle has a point—people around us are already in danger.”

“I am combat ready!” Penny said, lighting the runes on her body, “Ruby has increased the durability of this construct by 100%!”

“That could be…useful,” Weiss said, eyeing Penny carefully, “Penny, you said you have knowledge you were ‘created with’?”

“That is correct!”

“Do you remember everything you read?” Weiss asked, “We can see if this group has a history somewhere.”

Blake leaned back, “If the academic route doesn’t work, I…may have some contacts.”

“May?”

“Depends on how they took my departure.”

“So!” Yang stood up and put her hands on the table, “Long story short, we have assholes who want us dead, we don’t know who or why, and we have no idea how to find out more. Sound right?”

Everyone nodded.

“Cool, talk done!” Yang said, “Let’s do something else—I know this is important, but we’ve hit a wall.”

The table slowly dispersed: Weiss and Ruby returned to the guest room with Penny following, Blake declined Yang’s company and left for a walk, and Yang headed their gym to train.

* * *

Weiss fell back asleep—she’d been more tired than she let on—and Ruby left the room with Penny to give her space. The two walked to Ruby’s workshop—with Penny carrying her cot—as Penny gave her report on her market trip.

Ruby listened to her jovial friend, nodding when appropriate. When they arrived, Penny set Ruby’s cot down and walked towards the workbench. The two fell into a familiar pattern—Ruby slowly took Penny’s “chest” apart to retrieve the small box inside. As much as Ruby disliked Penny’s creator for abandoning her, she had to admit that his skill was unparalleled. Not only did he manage to create a _soul_ , he successfully affixed it and all his knowledge into a box barely larger than Ruby’s fist! 

Ruby inspected Penny’s box for any damage—even if she was self-repairing, it didn't hurt to check—and the slipped it into a doll-sized construct. She pressed her hand to the construct to link it to Penny, then set about working on her main body. 

“How has the new body been so far? Have you had any issues attuning to it?”

“No, I can link myself to it just fine. I have been enjoying how light this body is, and the townspeople have told me they like the new design!”

“Uh…How so?”

“The butcher's daughter said I looked very ‘pretty’. She offered to construct a crown of flowers for me.”

Ruby relaxed and returned to inspecting the larger construct for issues. 

“Good, good. Anything interesting happen while Yang and I were out?”

The smaller construct hummed, “Your Uncle did stop by to visit, and I informed him of your last known location at the time—you had just crossed the Myrx Bluffs.”

“Did he say he was going to come to us?”

“Negative. He appeared to be passing through on his own travels, but did not inform me of his destination.”

“He’s probably just on a job then,” Ruby had finished her inspection and began working on a metal strap at her bench, “Could you grab the new emerald for me? I can finish up your band now.”

“Stupendous!” The small construct reached into a nearby sack and retrieved a walnut-sized gem, “It will be delightful to know my friends are safe!”

Ruby smiled while beginning to attach the gem, “It will be nice for us to be able to check on you too, Penny. I might be able to upgrade the Who’s There if I talk to Weiss. She said her old school had teleporters _everywhere_.”

“That sounds fascinating,” Penny replied, “May I ask how you met our new friends?”

“Oh gosh, things happened so fast I haven't really told you what’s happened. Sorry, Penny.”

The doll patted Ruby’s arm, “I am not displeased, Ruby, only concerned.”

“Ah, well. You got Yang’s summary at the table, right?” Ruby was now tracing patterns over the gem and band with her finger, “We stopped at a town on the way to Sapphiryn and stumbled into some kind of…assassination? Kidnapping? We’re not really sure, but we met Weiss and Blake while beating up some bad guys.”

The patterns Ruby traced formed glowing runes, “The guy getting attacked was going to pay us to investigate—he was from Sapphiryn so we’d be going there anyways—but we were attacked last night on our way to the city.”

As Ruby spoke, her eyes flared brightly and the glow pulsed in time with the runes, she paused her explanation to recite an incantation from her notes. As she finished the enchantment, she pressed a fingertip to the gem causing the light to swell and then fade away completely. 

“Sorry, just had to finish that. We got out okay last night—aside from Weiss—but now we don't really know what to do besides sticking together…Well, I hope they want to stick together, ” Ruby inspected the band, eyes still faintly glowing, and then showed it to Penny, “Where do you want to wear it?”

“Great work, Ruby! Perhaps my left wrist?” the doll clapped while speaking, “And it does seem you are in quite the predicament. My offer to begin research still stands—I have purchased various texts from traveling merchants for the library, or I could visit the University in the capital.”

Ruby carefully detached the forearm from the main body and then removed the hand, “Penny, you can't go to the University—those creepy guys wanted to take you apart to study!”

She continued speaking while moving over to her forge, “Blake said she might know someone, and our library is a longshot, but I won't stop you if you want to go through it.”

Ruby reshaped Penny’s forearm so the new band would lie flush when attached. She held it up for Penny to see, and bonded the band to the metal at her approval.

“I would very much like to assist you, Ruby,” Penny said, “It would sadden me to see you harmed.”

“Thanks, Penny,” Ruby replaced the arm and hand, “Ready to go back?”

The doll nodded and Ruby transferred Penny back to her main body. The metal runes gently pulsed with light, then faded before Penny sat up. 

“Your band is linked with mine. We can link Yang’s later, and Uncle Qrow’s the the next time we see him.”

The gem on Penny's band hummed before the construct replied, “Indeed, I can sense your band with my own. Thank you, Ruby! Would you like my assistance with anything else?”

“No, but you're welcome to stay and watch. I think I'm going to work on a few things for a while.”

“I shall be in the library then. Make sure to take breaks, Ruby, or I will be speaking with Yang.”

“Did _she_ hide all the cookies? How did she even—”

“I neither confirm nor deny any involvement with cookies after our last ‘discussion’ about your working habits,” Penny gave a polite nod, and left the workshop. 

Ruby eyed her suspiciously. She looked at the project list on the wall behind her workbench and winced at how many she had. 

“…and I’m adding a new project. Great.”

Ruby sat down and started sketching designs for her latest idea. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cute stuff! Backstory! Planning! Penny!!  
> Her description is left a little vague to not limit your imagination, but she appears closer to an automaton than a golem—less bulky and more humanoid. 
> 
> (whisper) BtL Raven became softer 'cuz she's whipped, pass it on. 
> 
> Before Summer was ever a mom, she the Mom Look™ mastered. While they had already been together for a while, Summer really wrangled Raven into opening up around when Yang was born—which is why she stuck around and is more patient with Yang. Raven opening up also helped strengthen her connection with Taiyang, who didn't see the struggles she was hiding and was able to be a better partner once Summer made him aware.  
> 
> 
> * * *
> 
> Hey folks, chapters are going to be coming out slower—a combination of life things and taking more time to plan/outline upcoming events. 
> 
> I also need to go back and do some editing (just mechanics like typos, etc.) because I've been writing and uploading from my phone. 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!


	11. Flirting Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “—iss! Let’s me down! I’m not hungry and I want to finish my design!”
> 
> “Ah, the sound of the wind. A childish, whining wind, “ Weiss spoke to the air.
> 
> “I mean it! I can always eat later, I do it all the time— hey!”
> 
> Weiss continued dangling Ruby by the ankle, giving her a small shake, “Let’s make a deal. You sit and eat all your vegetables, and I won’t send you to bed like this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/10/18] minor revisions - aka holy SHIT so many tense issues
> 
> Welcome to the FIRST chapter I actually planned in advance! I have a good portion of the rest of the story outlined, which should be helpful! 
> 
> I have an entire system for outlining my academic papers—I don't know why I thought I could just write away with fiction. Laziness, probably.
> 
> In any case, I hope you enjoy this (rather long) chapter!

Yang had a simple solution for most of her problems: find the correct person, then punch them repeatedly until they were no longer a problem. Unfortunately, her approach was mostly useless in situations like the one she was in—there was no one to punch, nor anyone to squeeze for information so she could find out who she should punch.

She was really just in the mood to punch stuff, honestly. 

If Ruby’s haven was her workshop, then Yang’s was the gym—though the kitchen was a close second. The room had everything she could want for a good workout: punching sacks, wooden dummies, and various bulky objects for her to throw around for strength training. To make it complete, she had a sparring area as well, but Ruby only trained with her when she wanted to learn how to use a quarterstaff.

Yang limbered up before setting herself up in front of a punching sack. She had a dozen or so filled with sand because she broke them so often. Thankfully, there was a small drain nearby she could sweep sand into, and due to some of Ruby dimensional shenanigans, it all went into a spout to fill new bags with. 

After going through all her punching bags, Yang moved onto the wooden dummies. She had different ones depending on how intensely she was training: a basic model, an intermediate with metal plating, and then she had her favorite—a full metal dummy Ruby enchanted to bounce back similarly to a real opponent.

She ran through warm-up forms on the first two dummies, repeating kata when she felt sloppy. After the first two dummies she had slight bruising on her forearms and shins—mostly cosmetic. She stepped up to the metal dummy and began practicing her forms again.

This is what Yang knew she could do. She could take a hit. She could hit anything in her way harder than a bull. This was the only way she knew how to keep Ruby safe—but it wasn’t enough.

It was never enough.

Yang would probably have trained until she fell asleep, but her stomach protested otherwise. She rinsed herself clean in the gym shower—bless her baby sister, honestly—and left to cook a late lunch.

* * *

Despite her wealthy upbringing, Weiss’ favorite foods were rather unrefined: bread, meat, and cheese. It sounded rather pedestrian, but when she was very young she enjoyed the simple meals her Grandfather prepared for her. He would toast pieces of crusty bread and serve it alongside pieces of fried sausage, hunks of cheese, and—of course—mustard on the side. Once he had prepared white sausages— _weisswurst_ —for her as a joke. She had been concerned by the color at first, but since Grandfather had given it to her she was willing to try. It wasn’t terrible, but she had other sausages she preferred— _leberkäse_ and _blutwurst_ in particular. 

When the Schnees became the _Schnees_ through Jacques rapid expansion of the family mines, Weiss was unable to eat her favorite foods any longer. When she asked her father about it, he told her that such foods were “beneath them”. She didn’t understand what he meant at the time—Grandfather had made delicious meals! Even when she found out that most of her favorite meats were offal, she just became more upset that Father had denied her them for such a petty reason.

The first meal Weiss had after leaving her family was a simple dinner provided by the inn she stayed at. Cheap ale, bread, and—for a little extra coin—hot sausages and cheese. Even if this was the only thing she gained from leaving her family, it was completely worth it.

* * *

Weiss wouldn’t admit it even on her deathbed, but she was a horrendously deep sleeper. Ruby had already teased her a bit—“You know Weiss, people usually get _louder_ when you hit them in the face”—but she refused to admit it to the other two...for now.

In this particular instance though, she practically shot out of bed. Her half-awake mind had literally dragged Weiss across the room and towards the kitchen where that _delicious_ smell was. She didn’t fully awaken until she was startled by Yang’s booming laughter.

“Weiss, you could’ve just asked! They’re not quite done yet though, so put ‘em back.”

Weiss had been floating pieces of meat out of Yang’s frying pan. Weiss couldn’t believe it—she had never done this when she was at Skolaris! Granted, she also lived alone and hated all the food and most of the people there, but still!

Weiss let the meat drop back into the pan and shuffled away, embarrassed. 

“Aw, Weiss come back! Seriously, come back. I was going to make enough for everyone anyways.” 

Weiss was still walking away when she felt herself being lifted—

“Unhand me you brute! I could toss you—ah!”

Yang had grabbed Weiss by the waist and slung her over her shoulder before walking back to the kitchen. She gently set Weiss down before speaking, “Come on, stay for a bit! You can help me finish up lunch!”

“I...I never learned how to cook.”

“That’s fine, just means you get to learn now!”

Weiss felt an apron tossed at her face.

“You don’t have to wear it, but I figured you’re the type that doesn’t like getting your clothes dirty.”

“Thank you, I think.” Weiss muttered, “How can I help you?”

“Ah well, the hard part’s done really—all the prep work. All that’s really done is to finish frying everything up with the onions. I didn’t cook all of it at once because I didn’t know how long it would be until someone else got hungry, but since you’re here I’m sure you can drag Rutabaga out of her workshop.”

Weiss nodded uncertainly, “What exactly are you making?”

“I had a craving after working up a sweat and wanted something fast so it’s just chopped liver and onions. Nothing crazy difficult. The harder part would be teaching you how to chop an onion without nicking yourself.”

“Perhaps I can learn next time?”

“That’s the spirit! Anyways, this pan’s just about done,” Yang slid the cooked food onto a plate, “How about I show you how I fry it up, and then you can try after me?”

“That sounds like a logical approach.”

“Gosh, it’s like you and Penny ate dictionaries for breakfast or something,” Yang laughed, “First, make sure you grease the pan up a bit—oil, fat, or butter. Ruby got this giant thing of olive oil as a gift when she sold some dude a presser machine, so that’s what we’ll be using.”

“Don’t let the pan get too hot—since the flame is on one side you can move it closer or farther to change how hot it gets.”

Weiss watched Yang splash a drop of water into the pan before it fizzled and cracked.

“If you put a bit of water in and it goes crazy like that, the pan is hot enough. Frying this up is pretty simple, but you want to time it so that the onions and meat cook evenly. Meat goes in first, then onions a little later. You get a sense for these things the more you cook.”

Weiss watched Yang finish cooking the onions and liver. Yang cooked with a long pair of sticks in her hand that she used to push the food around. When the onions were browned and the liver was cooked to Yang’s satisfaction, she slid the food onto a second plate. 

“The thing with meat is that if you don’t cook it enough, it can make you sick. If you cook it too much it gets dry and chewy,” Yang started prodding a piece of liver with her stick, “Again, this is going to be different for different meats, but liver is cooked through when it’s about this firm.”

Weiss took one of the offered sticks and poked the liver. She couldn’t really tell what she was looking for, and said as much. Yang gave her a different stick to poke the raw liver and compare the two, which was slightly more informative.

“Alright Princess, you’re turn,” Yang said, “And don’t worry about messing up or anything. Worst case scenario, you can eat one of my batches and I’ll eat yours.”

Weiss was unsure if she should feel insulted or appreciative, so she split the difference, “Wow. I feel how much faith you have in me.”

Weiss repeated the steps she saw Yang perform, using her telekinesis to move ingredients—because “she could, nyeh!”. 

“That’d probably seem more impressive if I hadn’t spent my whole life next to Ruby’s tinkering.”

“...that is actually a solid argument I won’t dispute.”

“Oh?” Yang smirked and waggled her brows, “Is that so?”

“Yes, despite her lack of formal education Ruby has crea—why are you making that face? You look ridiculous!”

“Oh, nothing...I just think it’s interesting how much you like Ruby—”

Weiss flushed.

“—’s inventions.”

Silence fell over the pair as Weiss glared at Yang, then at the pan when she realized she didn’t want the food to burn. 

“I’m glad Ruby met someone like you.”

Weiss’ hand dropped a “chopstick”—as Yang called it—but she caught it before it hit the floor, “I...am also glad to have met Ruby.”

“Yeah I can tell,” Yang put her hands up to hide from Weiss’ glare, “Whoa, whoa not like that Princess. Well, I mean...unless it _is_ like that, but what I mean is that I’m glad she’s made a friend who she can talk nerd with.”

“What do you mean? Doesn’t she have Penny?”

“Well, yeah. Penny’s not the same though—she knows a lot of stuff, but she’s not a magic _user_. You can talk to Ruby and appreciate her stuff in a way I can’t.” Yang’s tone dropped slightly towards the end.

“I’m sure Ruby knows how much you appreciate her, Yang.”

“I...I do, but that’s different,” Yang replied, “I appreciate her entire existence, y’know? She’s my baby sis, of course I love her. I love the stuff she makes too, but it doesn’t click for me when I think practically everything she does is insane. She realized that when we got older and even her simplest ideas blew my mind.”

“I don’t think you’re really fixating on the right thing here, Yang. You might not know much about magic—but you know _Ruby_ and I think that’s worlds more important,” Weiss said, “...I have an elder sister as well. She and I...We are not close. It’s not that we don’t get along—we simply just were never in each other’s life much.”

Yang looked at Weiss strangely.

“My relationship with my younger brother is worse. Since Winter had left the family and I had been sent away to Skolaris, Whitley was raised by my Father’s hand alone. He...I do not fault him for his upbringing, but if it came down to me or the mines, he would kill me in a heartbeat.”

While they were talking, Weiss had finished cooking her batch and floated the food over to another plate. She barely had the dishes in the sink because she was crushed in a warm hug.

“I’m sorry your family was like that Weiss.”

Weiss let herself be held, “Yeah, me too.”

Yang released Weiss, “You know what they say about friendship though, right?”

“That friends are the family you choose?” Weiss quirked a brow.

Yang grinned widely, “Nope! Friendship’s like peeing your pants!—”

Weiss’ expression twisted in disgust.

“—everyone can see it, but only _you_ can feel the warmth!”

“...this isn’t even my home and I want you to leave.”

* * *

Blake felt a little bad about leaving Yang behind, but she needed some air, some _space_. Her life had just begun to turn around, yet in the span of two days she managed to earn the ire of yet _another_ large, malignant organization.

No one simply _left_ the White Fang, at least not within the radical branch led by Adam. Once you joined, they only way you left was in a body bag—for the greater cause, of course. She had been so foolish, so naive. It wasn’t until after she lashed out at her parents and ran two kingdoms away that she learned of Adam’s true nature.

She watched the people around her become more aggressive; violence becoming the first instead of the last resort, and she didn’t act. She ate all their excuses and let them bury holes in her gut. By the time she had truly found the White Fang beyond redemption, she was in too deep. Adam must have sensed her hesitation, because he had been assigning her more guards—”for his best lieutenant’s safety, of course.”

It took weeks of planning and the assistance of another defector to get out. 

_“Blake, it’s time to go! The next patrol is going to be here soon!”_

_“A little longer Velvet, please!”_

_Blake turned back to face inside the doorway, “Please. Come with us. You know that Adam has crossed the line a thousand times over, Illia.”_

_“I...I can’t leave Blake. I know Adam’s been out of control lately—”_

_“Lately?! Twenty bystanders slaughtered last week! A manned crystal mine the week before that! And you **know** what we saw last month.”_

_The chameleon Faunus shuffled her feet, “I don’t...If the Fang doesn’t fight for the Faunus, who will?”_

_“That’s bullshit! This isn’t about the cause anymore Illia. Adam treats the Fang like his personal army—and he’s more than willing to sacrifice his soldiers.”_

_“Blake! We have to go, now!”_

_“Illia. Last chance, come with me. Please, I love you. You can do better. **We** can do better.”_

_“Go, Blake,” Illia turned around, “I won’t tell them I saw you.”_

* * *

Blake stopped for a moment. Velvet could possibly have information, though the two had split up—Blake had no intentions of returning to Menagerie, even to accompany her. She didn’t know where to find her though. Illia was another possibility. Even if she was still with the Fang. Blake believed that Illia would have left soon after her own departure, but she couldn’t be sure.

She really didn’t have any potential contacts, unless she decided to stick her neck out and look for the Fang itself—her last resort. Her family could potentially be a powerful asset, but after how Blake left she wasn’t sure how welcoming they would be.

She huffed in frustration and looked for a place to sit. Most of the shops around her weren’t all that appealing, until her eyes settled on a bookshop. Blake had left her collection behind when she escaped the Fang, and she’d restricted herself from buying any since—she needed to travel light.

However, if she was staying here for a while anyways, she could probably pick up a book or two. 

Maybe five, maximum.

If she bought too many, maybe Ruby and Yang would let her keep it at their house?

* * *

The bookshop was clean and filled with the scent of paper. It was a rather impressive place for such a small town. Blake even saw some spell scrolls in a glass case—maybe she could pick up something useful there too.

Blake walked through the shelves just scanning the titles. There were a few reference books here and there, but the majority of the stock was fiction. She’d made her way through most of the store when she was startled by a voice.

“Oh, sorry I didn’t see you earlier. Welcome to Tuksons’ Book Trade! Looking for anything in particular, Miss…?”

Blake whirled around and saw a large man with dark hair, “...Blake. I’m just looking for something to pass the time.”

“Would you like to see a few of my favorites?” the man—Tukson, presumably—offered, “You can keep browsing while I go get them.”

Blake continued scanning the nearby shelves until he returned with a small stack of books.

“There’s a good variety here, let me know if you like any.” He hands Blake the stack before walking away, “Take your time browsing, just let me know when you’re finished!”

Blake went through the stack of books. She’d read a few of them, but some of the others looked interesting. She chose three out of the stack and walked back to the front.

“These three then?” Tukson said, scanning her choices, “Good taste! 3 gold for the lot.”

“I was hoping to see your scrolls as well.”

“A good eye there too! Our town’s own Miss Rose produced these scrolls.”

“Oh? I’m afraid I’m new around here, could you tell me more about her?” 

“She and her sister moved to Patch a while back—before I came here anyways—they’re pleasant folk. A bit weird in their own way, but good people nonetheless,” Tukson said, “I’m not really sure what Ruby _does_ , but she or her metal friend Penny come in and trade scrolls for the rarer books I find.”

“Sounds interesting,” Blake said, “I might come back for the scrolls, actually. So just the books for now.”

“Excellent!” Tukson placed another book on Blake’s stack, “And a little something extra to welcome you to Patch.”

Blake smiled, “That’s very generous. Thank you.”

“Of course, enjoy the books, Miss Blake.”

* * *

Weiss heard Yang still howling with laughter as she walked off in a huff. Hopefully fetching Ruby for lunch was less of an ordeal than conversing with her sister. She followed Yang’s directions to Ruby’s workshop, still muttering angrily under her breath.

She could instantly tell when she’d arrived at the workshop—the large “YANG I’M WORKING DON’T BOTHER ME” sign was a large giveaway. Thankfully, the door wasn’t locked so Weiss entered quietly. She walked down the stairs to enter the workshop proper, and was greeted by the sight of Ruby dangerously suspended between her chair and workbench, her body contorted while she sketched in her notebook.

Ruby hadn’t seemed to notice Weiss and continued drawing with her tongue poked out of her mouth in concentration. Weiss silently hovered around the workshop to sneak behind Ruby and get a better view of the drawing. However, when she peered at the notebook over Ruby’s shoulder she only saw scribbles. Weiss was confused until she recalled that Ruby masks her notebook.

“I’m quite sure that position is doing nothing for your posture.”

“Ah!—ck...I would thank you for the catch, but you also kinda made me fall.”

Weiss laughed, “I didn’t realized you’d be so focused. Could I see what you’re working on?

“Yeah, sure,” Ruby waved her hand over the page, and Weiss now saw sketches of rings, gems, and various runes.

“...I see that you skipped basic theory and went straight for advanced runeforging.”

“Rune what?” Ruby asked, looking up from her notebook, “And I don’t know about your orbit thingies, but I still do just fine!”

“You do more than just fine, actually. I didn’t mean to imply anything otherwise,” Weiss clarified, “It’s just that...from my perspective it’s like you’re able to write novels despite not knowing what letters are. Does that make sense?”

“I guess…? I picked up a few things here and there, but for the most part I do everything by feeling. I don’t know how you learned spells, but for me it’s like watching someone dance and then repeating the moves myself,” Ruby replied, “For the regular spells everyone knows anyways—like the disk we made. My other stuff is...well. It just makes sense to me.”

“Has anyone ever taught you in a standard way?”

Ruby shook her head, “We moved around a lot, and when we finally settled here I didn’t really like the University people in Fecunir.”

“...would you like a short lesson? Perhaps knowing theory could supplement your current knowledge.”

Ruby shrugged, “I make no promises about understanding anything.”

“If you don’t understand my lesson, then I’m at fault for not explaining the concepts well enough,” Weiss answered, “Let’s begin with power. Arcane users draw power from the natural world. The world around us—the air, the earth, etc.—is permeated by arcane power.

“While that power is present everywhere, it is not concentrated enough in any one location to promote change. Arcane users are able to draw these energies into themselves and focus that power into change—spells, rituals, and enchantments. Any questions so far?”

“Uh…,” Ruby hummed, “Is there anywhere that _doesn’t_ have energy?”

“...Interesting. I am not aware of any such places—there are phenomena that can block a magic user’s ability to concentrate energy properly however. That concept is what wards are based on.

“Delving a little further: while magic users concentrate external energy within themselves to power spells, different spells require more power than others.”

Ruby nods.

“This is where the concept of orbitals is used. Standard spells and rituals are classified by power requirements. These power requirements are quantized—it’s just a big word that means ‘travels in steps’.”

“We know that power requirements correspond to specific values. This means that when magic users concentrate power within themselves, they have control over the same ‘levels’ of concentration. 

“The prevailing theory is that when mages condense arcane power within themselves, each ‘level’ forms a specific shape—an orbital. There’s more theory that covers the spatial distribution of arcane energy, but for now the main lesson is that mastery over a number of arcane orbitals means you can perform spells up to that level’s power.”

Ruby tilted her head, “I got the ‘levels’ part, but not so much about shapes.”

“Spatial distribution is a bit more complicated,” Weiss replied, “The basic concept is that it’s more “stable” to concentrate magic in certain shapes than others.”

“I’m kind of glad I didn’t go to magic school—not that I don’t appreciate this lesson!”, Ruby frowned, “I’ll sleep on it and see it it jogs anything in my head. Did you need anything by the way?”

“Oh, I was supposed to fetch you for lunch.”

“Nah, I’m good.”

Weiss narrowed her eyes at Ruby, who valiantly tried to avoid her gaze. When hiding didn’t work, Ruby went to her old standby—the Pout.

Weiss planted her hands on her hips, “I’m counting to three.”

Ruby tried to look more sad and pathetic.

“One.”

“Weiss, pleaaaaaase? I just want to—”

“Two.”

“I’m almost done! Come on, We—eiah!”

“Three. Come along, now.”

* * *

Weiss was taking an _awfully_ long time to fetch Ruby. Yang wondered if Blake would bet on when they’d finally get together—Yang figured they’d probably dawdle for a month at the most. Hopefully Blake would finish her walk soon so they could gossip together.

“What are you grinning about?” Blake asked from behind Yang.

“Just wondering if Blake would bet on Weiss and Ruby gett—hey!” Yang turned around in her chair, “Tell it to me straight, are you a ninja?”

Blake chuckled softly, “Would a ninja answer honestly?”

“That is exactly what a ninja would say!”

“Oh no. You’ve found my secret.” Blake deadpanned and started to walk away, “I suppose this is it for our friendship.”

“Hey! Come back, jerk! 

“That’s _ninja_ jerk,” Blake smiled, “By the way, I give it two weeks tops.”

“That fast? They’re cute and cuddly right now, but I don’t think they’ll _get it_ for a while.”

“Really? Because it’s looks like they’ve already started on the kinky stuff to me.” Blake joked and pointed over Yang’s shoulder.

“—iss! Let’s me down! I’m not hungry and I want to finish my design!”

“Ah, the sound of the wind. A childish, whining wind, “ Weiss spoke to the air.

“I mean it! I can always eat later, I do it all the time— hey!”

Weiss continued dangling Ruby by the ankle, giving her a small shake, “Let’s make a deal. You sit and eat all your vegetables, and I won’t send you to bed like this.”

“Noooooooo!” “Wow, you move fast, Princess!”

Weiss only just noticed their audience and scowled at Yang’s smirk. She gently set Ruby down—on her feet—and ignored everyone else in the room on her walk to her chair.

“Like I said, two weeks,” Blake whispered to Yang, “20 gold says I’m right.”

“I still think it’ll be at least a month,” Yang whispered back, “Throw a date into that bet and I’m down.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Ruby asked

Blake just smiled at Ruby and sat next to Yang. Weiss glared at both Blake and Yang while eating her meal. Ruby sulked in her chair as well, but started eating when pieces of onion started pelting her in the mouth.

“I visited the bookshop in town while I was out,” Blake started, “The owner spoke very highly of you, Ruby.”

“Aw, did he really? Penny loves reading obscure books—something about ‘archiving knowledge’—so he tries to get rare stuff to me if I make him a few scrolls every now and then.”

“Do you have a library here then?” Weiss asked, “Perhaps I can starting researching here about th—”

“Nope!”

“I just wanted to suggest that I could help by—”

“Shhhhhh! No shop talk at the table!” Yang finished, “We can talk about how screwed we are later. Food time is for friends and family!”

“So you mean to tell me you are urinating at this table?”

“Weiss! Gross!” Ruby said.

“I’m merely repeating what your sister told me earlier!”

Blake raised her eyebrows, “I didn’t think you two were into that.”

“Ew! Blake!” Ruby shouted, “That’s like...double gross!”

“Yang used an inappropriate metaphor and I merely wished to turn the tables on her!” Weiss protested, “ I do not participate in...whatever activities you are suggesting.”

“I’m glad, because I’d be real worried for Rube-a-doob here if you were,” Yang joked.

“Yang, that’s ridiculous,” Blake replied, “I’m sure they would be perfectly safe and sanitary about it.”

Blake and Yang both burst into laughter.

“I can’t talk about using your library, but you guys can make potty jokes?”

“It depends on what you plan on using it for, Princess,” Yang said.

Ruby groaned into her palms, “I could have been in my workshop Weiss! I could be making...well I don’t know what but something _really_ cool, but instead I’m sitting here while my sister makes sex jokes!”

Weiss nodded in solidarity, “I have many regrets.”

* * *

The four continued eating over light conversation, with Ruby and Weiss eventually able to turn the tables on the other two—”Why did peeing make you guys think about sex anyways?” “It’s because they’re perverts, Ruby. Incorrigible, uncouth, despicable perverts.”—before the meal is over.

After the table was cleared and the dishes washed, Yang fixed the group a pot of tea—with honey on the side for Ruby.

“Okay, _now_ we can talk about how people want us dead.”

“They might not want us _dead_ , Yang. I’m sure our bodies would make great undead fiends.”

“Ha. Ha. Blake,” Weiss snipped, “Has anyone actually come up with anything since breakfast?”

Blake’s jovial tone sombered, “I...may have contacts in Menagerie. Possibly elsewhere depending on where my other contact may have moved.”

“That’s..uh, a little vague Blake,” Yang said.

Blake shrugged, “I thought it over, and that’s the best I’ve got. If we don’t have anything else to find leads with, I could try my former contacts—if you want another group of lunatics on your heels.”

“Do elaborate,” said Weiss.

“I have... _had_ connections to the White Fang,” Blake saw the reactions on their faces, “‘Had’ is the keyword. I haven’t been associated with them for years.”

Weiss eyed Blake warily, “I would appreciate a little more information, for reasons you can assume.”

“I joined them when they were still a group of peaceful protesters,” Blake sighed, “When they radicalized, I made excuses for my friends and myself until I couldn’t—then I left.”

“People don’t just _leave_ the White Fang.”

“You’re right,” Blake said, “I _escaped_. It’s been long enough that they probably think I died in the middle of the desert. There’s only one person I’d be willing to use as a contact with them, but I’m not sure if she’s left them or not.”

“I still feel we might need to be wary of the White Fang, but I suppose it’s no more dangerous than travelling with a Schnee,” Weiss finished, “Your contacts can be a last resort, I suppose. I was considering visiting the main library within Skolaris, but that seems a bit far.”

“The capital has a University—there’s a library there,” Ruby replied, “We also have our collection here. Penny already started going through it this morning.”

“Fecunir’s University should allow me access as a Skolaris research fellow,” Weiss said, “I can join Penny in your library until then.”

“If we’re all heading to the capital, I’ve got some...people there,” Yang said, “Blake can come with me for back-up.”

“Why would you need back-up?” Ruby asked, “...Yaaaaaang! You said you didn’t do anything to get in trouble the last time we went to the capital!”

“I didn’t do anything! The trouble just came to me and I...turned it around?”

“I’ll keep Yang away from trouble,” Blake said

Weiss stared at Blake, “I find that statement highly dubious.”

Blake shrugged, “I said I’d keep her away from trouble—not my fault if it comes chasing after her.”

Weiss and Ruby groaned.

“I liked you better when you were flirting with Yang. Now you’re just messing with all of us.”

“Are you saying I’m flirting with all of you now?”

“Ooh, Weiss watch out! Blake’s coming after Ruby now!”

Weiss pulled her crystal out of her pocket and flicked both Blake and Yang in the head before leaving the table.

“It was _Weiss_ chatting with you, Princess!”

Yang ducked and the crystal whizzed past her temple, “Ha! Missed me—ow!”

* * *

After Weiss left—presumably for the library—Blake excused herself to drop her books off in Yang’s room, leaving the two sisters alone.

“Yang?”

“Rooster Booster?

“Do you think we should let Uncle Qrow know about this stuff?”

“Nnnnrrrrgh. I don’t want to, but it’s probably the smart thing to do.”

“I’ll just say I’m letting him know so he can watch out for them too,” Ruby said.

Yang ruffled Ruby’s hair, “I’ll let you take care of it Rubyberg. I’ll be in the gym if you need me, okay?”

Ruby blew her hair out of her face, “Remind me to link your band with Penny’s later!”

Yang waved a hand behind her.

Ruby turned her attention back to the task at hand. She focused on the band around her wrist, the image of her Uncle, and the matching band he wore.

_Uncle Qrow, some red robed mage cult is after me and Yang. We got it, but you should be careful. Be safe, and we love you! Reply when you can._

Ruby sat at the table with her tea after Sending her message. Sometimes it took Qrow a few minutes to reply if he was in the middle of something. It was usually beating up bad guys, but Ruby didn’t really know what his jobs entailed. 

Two minutes passed without a response. That wasn’t unusual. Drunkle Qrow wasn’t always the most responsible.

Five more minutes passed in silence. Ruby doesn’t know how to explain away the fear anymore. Even if Uncle Qrow was asleep, the band would wake him—at least enough for him to realize that Ruby sent him a message.

The only reassurance she had was that his band had not indicated he was in physical harm.

“Where are you, Uncle Qrow?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My scene plan for the lunch banter was: "Blake returns as lunch is served. Yang doesn't allow shop talk until after eating, so they talk about themselves—what they enjoy"  
> I don't know how that turned into potty humor and joking about watersports, but it is what it is!  
> \--  
> This chapter is brought to you by YAY I FOUND UNIVERSITY HOUSING! I found a nice room for rent and there's going to be a dog and THREE cats there. I'm so excited! 
> 
> As I mentioned in the beginning note, I'm being better about planning out the rest of this story. While it's been nice exploring the characters, the BBEG do not rest! Either you chase the plot, or the plot chases you!  
> (It's 3AM, please excuse my silliness)
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed!
> 
>  
> 
> (Yes, I did indeed compare magic to electrons)


	12. Ninja Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fighters tapped fists before retreating to their corners. Yang assumed her usual stance, hands up by her head. She eyed Blake warily when the Faunus assumed an unusual stance: her arms slightly extended at chest height with open hands.
> 
> Of course Blake used some weird ninja style.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/10/18] minor revisions
> 
> Hello hello!
> 
> Housing stuff fell out from under me so I've been occupied. Updates are slowing, but I'm aiming for a chapter every week, give or take.
> 
> Enjoy!

The discussion after lunch left Yang rattled and with more questions than answers. She and Ruby were fairly well-travelled, so they’d heard of the White Fang before. 

The tales were monstrous; dozens of massacres, violent protests, and the destruction of various mines and warehouses around Xudea. They had a real grudge against the Schnees too—something about sweatshops and underpaid labor, but Blake hadn’t mentioned anything to Weiss since they’d met. 

Perhaps Blake was being honest? Or at least, whatever she had disclosed was true—Blake was probably still keeping a few secrets to herself. Blake was a dangerous woman—even more than Yang had previously thought.

It was kind of hot.

As attractive as Blake was though, Yang couldn’t put Ruby’s safety at risk. The White Fang was ruthless, and if Blake had left on unfriendly terms they wouldn’t care about going through the the sisters to get to her.

Yang had to clear her head. It wasn’t like she was a stranger to attractive people—she could live without Blake. Yang returned to the gym. She always thought a little better when her body was occupied. She went through a calisthenic warm-up before moving on to strength training.

A section of the gym was fitted with a thick, stone wall laden with cracks and craters. A pile of metal balls in various sizes laid twenty feet away. Yang started off easily, with an apple-sized ball. She hurled it at the wall and picked up another with her opposite. She continued throwing weights at the wall in various ways—overhead with both hands, from the floor with a sit-up, and her favorite: from the floor with a reverse situp.

It was a pretty unconventional way of working out, but it was more for Yang to work off steam than anything else—she had other routines to keep herself in shape anyways. Yang was still on her back, picking up weights between her ankles to throw at the wall. She had finished with all the weights within reach when she heard light applause.

“I don’t think I’ve seen that maneuver before,” said Blake.

Yang grunted and sat up, “Comes in handy when you’d prefer not to be flat on your back.”

“A common situation for you?”

“Not for long,” Yang grinned, “Want to bet on it?”

Blake folded her arms, “Should I inform Ruby of your gambling problem?”

“Nah, she already knows. We make dumb bets all the time too,” Yang said, “But what do you say? Best 2 out of 3 takedowns?”

“You haven’t taken me out for dinner, but I suppose breakfast and lunch is close enough,” Blake replied, “Give me a few minutes to warm-up first?”

“Yeah, take your time. I’ll just be here,” Yang flopped onto her side and sighed theatrically, “Waiting.”

Blake stripped her outer layers and flung them at Yang and started warming up. Yang grinned and folded Blake’s clothes and set them aside. When she turned back towards Blake, Yang’s throat caught. She’d seen Blake fight a bit at the tavern, but she didn’t know she was that _flexible_. Sparring suddenly sounding like a terrible idea—a terribly _hot_ idea.

“Stare any longer and I might start charging for the view.”

“So I can’t look, but I can touch?”

Blake smirked, “You can try.”

Yang got to her feet and led Blake to the sparring area, “Hand-to-hand only, or do you want to use your stick-on-a-string? I’m fine with both.”

“It’s called a kusarigama,” Blake replied, “Hand-to-hand. First to tap twice loses.”

“Cuckoo Karma, got it. Terms for the wager?”

“Hmm. Loser owes the winner a favor?” Blake said, “Within reason.”

“Boring! Loser has to address the winner as ‘hot stuff’ for a week!” Yang replied.

“Hmm, if you lose, you have to shamelessly flirt with Weiss for a day—I get to pick when.”

“Oh god, that’s going to be hilarious. I’m changing my favor to that. Ready to go kitty-cat?”

The fighters tapped fists before retreating to their corners. Yang assumed her usual stance, hands up by her head. She eyed Blake warily when the Faunus assumed an unusual stance: her arms slightly extended at chest height with open hands.

Of course Blake used some weird ninja style.

Yang closed in on Blake, testing her guard. Blake easily diverted her punches, and Yang had to dodge her counters before pulling away. Blake smirked and edged towards Yang. When Blake came in striking distance, Yang kicked low—blocked—then tried for a reverse kick—dodged .

The rhythm remained the same for the next few encounters: Yang poking and prodding at Blake’s defense while the Faunus simply countered or dodged.

“I might tap out of boredom soon.”

“I didn’t know you wanted to flirt with Weiss that badly.”

Blake darted forward after her statement, though Yang still had her guard up—which was good, since Blake let loose a flurry of blows into her arms before she shoved Yang backwards. Yang leaped back with the momentum. When Blake closed in again she lashed out with her own combo—which turned out to be a feint for her to slip around Yang and attack her from behind. 

Yang recovered from her surprise and swung her elbow as she turned around catching Blake off-guard. Yang pounced on the opening and kicked Blake where she was already off-balance. Blake stumbled but recovered enough to back away. Yang smiled back at her and winked.

Blake scoffed and circled Yang. She dashed in and feinted strokes before surprising Yang with a sweep. The brawler landed on the floor, but she kept her legs up and pointed at Blake.

“You look comfortable down there, Yang.”

“Yeah? Why don’t you come and join me?”

Blake couldn’t get past Yang’s kicks, and a leg lock swept her off-balance. Yang rolled over on top of her. Blake recovered quickly into a guard and the two exchanged strikes and counters until Yang managed to get Blake into an armlock.

“Tap!”

Yang dropped the arm immediately and relaxed. She stayed prone until she realized Blake was probably being crushed, and pulled the two of them up.

“Round two, Blakey?”

“You’re on.”

The two tapped fists again and separated. The fight started at a much faster pace this time—they both had a better feel for the other. Blake seemed to have adjusted to Yang’s strikes and was able to twist and push Yang’s arms away from herself. After a few exchanges of her fists hitting air, Yang began throwing in more kicks to hopefully catch Blake off guard.

Unfortunately, it seemed Blake had adjusted to those as well—Yang was getting a few strikes in, but Blake stayed standing. Frustrated, Yang lashed out with a spinning heel kick which Blake caught. Yang managed to shake Blake’s grip but was forced to disengage to regain her balance. Blake waited for Yang with a smirk. Yang charged in with her fists once more, only to be abruptly pulled forward and tossed to the ground. Blake kept her distance still, circling as she for Yang to stand up.

“Nap time already?”

Yang roared in frustration and bull rushed Blake—with the intent of taking her down at the waist. Much to her surprise, however, Yang instead found herself face down on the floor, with Blake holding her arm and pinning her down with a knee. Yang tapped.

“Hmm, I think I might enjoy you on your front more than your back,” Blake smirked as she pulled them both up.

Yang—frustrated with the fight, with their situation, with herself—yelled in frustration. She couldn’t even say anything—just loud, angry noise. Blake’s demeanor instantly shifted and she shrank away from the blonde. She kept her distance as silence fell between them. Yang stared angrily at the ground, huffing and puffing. Blake had almost decided to just leave when Yang’s body relaxed and the brawler sat on the ground.

Yang’s voice was muffled as she held her head down, “Sorry, that wasn’t at you. That was…I’m sorry.”

“I…Accept your apology,” Blame said quietly, “And I’m also sorry if I went too far. I just thought we—”

“No, it was…I like the you banter, “ Yang’s face twisted in frustration, “I just…You’re fine.”

“Too fine,” Yang mutters lowly—she forgot about Blake’s hearing. 

“Yang, have I done something wrong?” Blake looked uneasy. 

Yang sighed again, “Things are just…well, you know how things are running right now. I'm just frustrated.”

“I was hoping the sparring would help, but do you want to tell me instead?”

“…It’s fine, you don't need to listen to me whine”

Blake walked back towards Yang and sat beside her, “Maybe not, but you and Ruby didn't need to take me to safety either. Or let me stay in your home.”

Yang cradled her head again, “You're right. We don't.”

Blake froze. This was it. She blew it—she messed up her second chance at a ho—

“But I’m dumb and I want to anyways,” Yang turned to face Blake, “I don’t know if I can protect Ruby from the people who are after us. I don’t think I could protect her from the White Fang either—your presence puts her in danger. 

“Kicking you in out is what I should be doing—I should be making sure Ruby is safe. But I’m being selfish because I like you, so that's out the door. I thought I’d feel better if I trained—but now I know I’m just weak. I let Ruby down.”

Yang's eyes were wet when she turned to face the floor again. She stiffened when she felt an arm wrap around her, but eventually relaxed into Blake’s side. 

“I haven't been around long,” Blake said, “But I’m pretty sure Ruby doesn’t feel that way—that you're weak, or you let her down.”

Blake paused to consider her next statement, “I don't think those things either, if it matters. I’m also sorry for whatever danger I might be bringing, but I can't say that I’d be willing to leave because I’m pretty sure this is the happiest I've been in years.”

“I shouldn't have said that. My Mom would be so mad at me—you're welcome here. I just…I can't protect Ruby from everything, and I hate it.”

“You can't, but you try your best,” Blake said gently, “In the end, Ruby is her own person—it's not your job to shield her from everything.”

“But it _is_ my job! There's no one else! Ma and Mom and Dad are all gone and Ruby had to watch them burn—alone—because I wasn’t there!” Yang’s tears became sobs, “I have nightmares where we came too late, and she burned with them or died alone and hungry. Then I wake up not knowing if it's real—if she’s still there, or if she’s gone because _I wasn't there_!”

“…I’m sorry—about all of those things and your losses,” Blake said, hesitating to continue, “And I can see where you're coming from, but none of those things are your fault.”

“I’m assuming you weren't that old when this happened,” Blake continued, “Anything that happened—or could have happened—isn't on you.”

Yang started to protest, but Blake cut her off, “Yang, you were a _kid_. What difference would you have made against a group of raiders?”

“I’m not a kid anymore though,” Yang argued, “I should be able to protect her now!”

“Yang. You're her _sister_ , not her keeper. Ruby is her own person and you're not always going to be there to help her— _and that's okay_. Besides, she’s got more than just you looking out for her now.”

“Yeah, I'm actually a little jealous that Weiss managed to get her to eat her veggies.”

Blake laughed softly, “I was trying to say that I'd look out for her too, but I guess you’d prefer Weiss.”

“Mm, yeah—cuz then I’d get you to myself,” Yang admitted shyly, “But I mean—you don't—I…I like you, a lot, but I don't want to pressure you or—I don't really know what I’m saying. I want to be friends, no matter what, I guess.”

“I’d like that—being friends, I mean,” Blake replied, “For the other stuff…the attraction is mutual, but…I can’t give you more than this—even though I really want to.”

“This is plenty.”

…

“Can I still flirt with you?”

“I'd be offended if you didn't, Yang.”

* * *

Weiss’ annoyance settled as she searched the house for the library. Yang and Blake were insufferable on their own, but together they were completely unbearable. Their insinuations and innuendo were totally inappropriate! 

At least it was certainly different from dinner at the Schnee Manor. Weiss hadn’t eaten like that—with good company—since Father dismissed Klein for being “too soft” with her. In the grand scheme of things, Yang and Blake meant no harm—they just enjoyed teasing her and Ruby over their closeness. The tables would turn on them soon enough, and Weiss was quietly happy that she had a friendship to be teased over. 

As Weiss neared the library, she heard soft thuds come from inside. Ah, Penny—Weiss had forgotten the golem would be there as well. She was still unsure how she felt about the golem—golems without a control amulet often turned on their creators. She was aware that most anecdotes failed to mention whether their creators treated them kindly, however—she would understand wanting to smack the majority of her peers in Skolaris.

Penny set a stack of books onto a table as Weiss entered, “Greetings, Weiss! Welcome to the Bookkeeping room! I have collected the texts that I have yet to read. However, if you have come to read for leisure, the library is arranged using standard indexing.”

Weiss looked at the piles of books on the table, “Is there a reason you call the library the ‘Bookkeeping Room’?”

“Yes! The library was created shortly after Yang had taught me the concept of ‘puns’. The library is the location in which our books are kept, as well as where I perform household accounting!” Penny clapped her hands excitedly.”

“Ah, Yang. That would explain things. Wordplay aside, I came to assist with the research.”

“Splendid! As previously stated, the texts gathered here are the ones that I have yet to archive in my memory. Therefore, if there is any pertinent information, it would be here.”

“Are you _sure_ your memory is perfect?” Weiss asked, “Your recollection may also be flawed if you are unaware of social concepts that would seemingly plain information relevant.”

“Indeed! The earliest memories I can recall were formed when I was created. Ruby has tested my recollection several times at my request, and I have passed every test she has designed. Unfortunately, I must agree with your second statement. Your assistance with research would be most helpful in that regard.”

Weiss started going through the book pile, “I’d best get started then.”

* * *

After a full ten minutes without any response from Uncle Qrow, Ruby decided to return to her workshop—sitting here wouldn't help either of them. She picked up her journal to flip to her latest project and pulled out her quill. Since she was only modifying a previous design, Ruby had thought the planning phase wouldn't be difficult—she was wrong. 

After three scratched out sketches, Ruby recalled why she had made the Rose Bands into such large wrist pieces in the first place—she wasn't able to fit the necessary runes onto a ring or charm. Even with her improved ‘runeforging’ as Weiss called it—Ruby just called it carving—the full script would be too large. She could maybe try compounding runes, but the last time she did that Yang’s hair turned green. The base enchantment worked—it was only the component runes that went a little wonky. Yang hadn't spoken to Ruby for a week after that incident, and Ruby had to tests Yang’s hand wraps several times before Yang would accept them. 

After drawing—and scratching out —another sketch, Ruby decided to shelf the ring for now and focus on replenishing her weapon stock. She pulled various belts and small bags from her Bag of Folding to take inventory. She definitely needed more Eyebies, especially if they were going to be gathering information. She had used up some her other supplies before they had even arrived at the tavern as well.

She flipped back a few pages to where she wrote down Penny’s report. As fun as her creations were, some of the components were rather costly. Aside from dungeon looting, their household income was supplemented by selling the teas from Yang’s garden and some of Ruby’s more practical, cost-effective creations. Penny’s report indicated that they were doing fine—plenty of savings, if Ruby gave up building—but it wouldn't be a bad idea to visit the market in Fecunir and sell a few things. 

Ruby double checked her component inventory and her supply needs before writing up a to-do list. She could occupy herself until bedtime with this, and hopefully Uncle Qrow will have replied by then.

* * *

Weiss had chosen a few books that were the least likely to be useless—though with titles like “On Oozes and Ruses”, “The Secret Life of Algae”, and ”Toenail Divination”, Weiss had to lower her standards. She settled in the armchair furthest from Penny, who was seated in a special chair to accommodate her weight. Weiss had learned more than she ever needed to about necrotic slimes when Penny’s voice caught her attention.

“-u Weiss.”

“Pardon?”

“What would you need pardoning for? Have you committed a crime?”

“No…why would you—?”Weiss reluctantly looked up to make eye contact with Penny, “Pardon, as shorthand for ‘I beg your pardon’, a colloquial phrase with similar meaning as ‘Excuse me’ or ‘What did you say?’”

“I see! I must thank you for that clarification as well, Weiss! I had simply stated my appreciation for the formation of your friendship with Ruby!”

Weiss looked at Penny with confusion. Didn’t Penny claim to be Ruby’s “best friend”—not that Weiss had a strong opinion about that, or anything similar.

“Why?” Weiss blurted. Weiss certainly didn’t enjoy sharing Ruby, so she couldn’t imagine how Penny could.

Penny tilted her head curiously, “Your friendship with Ruby has increased her general sociability and mood—she’s happier than before.”

“I don’t understand,” Weiss replied, “She doesn’t seem different from when I first met her.”

“Perhaps. However, she is currently behaving much differently than she usually would at home,” Penny said, “Yang has mentioned that Ruby seems ‘more herself’ when they travel, however, I have not seen Ruby behave like this in Patch.”

“What is she usually like?” Weiss’ curiosity was piqued.

Penny set her current stack of books aside, “I noticed you had retrieved Ruby for her midday meal. Did you notice anything then?”

“She was being a brat and didn’t want to eat,” Weiss answered, “She seemed to have a few projects in progress as well.”

“When Ruby first brought me home, she rarely left her workshop. She spent as much time as she could creating objects to sell, and often put off eating and sleeping to do so. I had just started assisting with household accounting at the time, and there was no financial pressure to motivate her behavior.”

The image of a reclusive, workaholic Ruby was beyond strange for Weiss.

“She did not speak with anyone besides myself and Yang, as well,” Penny continued, “She simply hid behind Yang when we visited the town.”

“This is rather…difficult to picture, let alone believe,” Weiss said.

“Perhaps you can understand my appreciation, then. Ruby only began leaving her workshop when I informed her that a rare component for one of her projects was likely to be found in a nearby ruin. After that expedition, Ruby seemed to become more outgoing, however, she would resume her old behavior when left at home. The man who supplied us with these books, Tukson, is the only individual within the town that I have observed Ruby converse with.

“Therefore, I appreciate whatever friendship you have formed with Ruby,” Penny finished, “As it seems you are assisting her in developing healthy social habits.”

Penny resumed rapidly scanning through books as Weiss sat and stared blankly. She couldn’t process Penny’s words. Ruby seemed so…bubbly—even at the tavern! Perhaps it had something to do with being home? Weiss decided to ask Ruby later—she needed to focus on research now.

> _It should be noted that the necrotic slime is named so for the necrotic effect it has upon touch. Unlike the undead, however, it is not repelled by divine magicks any more than a mundane creature. Like its ooze brethren, the necrotic slime prefers to inhabit moist, dark areas—graveyard and crypts with enough humidity often attract necrotic slimes, which creates a misleading association with the undead._

Weiss discarded that book and resigned herself to an unproductive evening.

* * *

It had taken Ruby much less time than she had anticipated to restock her supplies. She put her things away and looked at her project board. A handful of the diagrams taunted her—they’d been shelved long ago, and she had yet to think of how to resolve their issues. Ruby decided she had frustrated herself enough for one evening—she could try again tomorrow. If Weiss helped her, perhaps they could come up with solutions together. 

Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose and placed the scythe form on her workbench. The different forms didn’t require maintenance—she would simply revert it to the rod and back—but Ruby enjoyed examining each form thoroughly anyways. She lifted the scythe and gave it an experimental swing—she wasn’t quite used to the balance. After nearly breaking her cot a few swings later, Ruby decided that the gym would _probably_ be a better location for experimentation.

Ruby sheathed the rod and double checked to make sure she put her things away properly. After a quick scan revealed that her workshop probably wouldn’t explode in her absence, she made her way up and over to the gym. Ruby was quite proud of the modifications she made to the room—each one was usually a birthday present for Yang. The one area that was rarely used, however, was the sparring mat—much to Yang’s disappointment. She’d probably be happy that Ruby was up for a fight for once.

Ruby opened the door to the gym while drawing Crescent Rose and froze.

Yang and Blake were half dressed and entangled on the sparring mats. They were engaged in some sort of activity, if the grunt were anything to go by. 

“Say it!”

“No!”

“ _Say it_!”

“Argh! Fine! _‘Blake is the best top’_.”

Ruby tried to make a stealthy retreat, but she had forgotten that she was carrying a large, heavy scythe. The scythe head clanged against the entryway as it caught, causing Ruby to lose her balance and fall backwards. 

Yang and Blake had started disengaging when they turned towards the clamor and found a red heap on the ground.

Ruby groaned when they saw her, “You guys are being gross so I’mjustgonnagobye!”

Yang had already run over before Ruby could get up, “Rubes! Are you okay? Did you hit your head?”

“No, but I wish I did so I can unhear the last minute.”

Blake burst out laughing as Yang flushed, “It’s not like that! Blake was just showing me some moves!”

“That description doesn't help! I just wanted to swing Crescent Rose around but _it looks like you're busy_.”

“Yang and I were just settling a bet, Ruby,” Blake called over, “She’s all yours…Unless you want to see why I’m the best?”

“You just have some weird ninja shit going on!” Yang pouted at Blake before picking Ruby up, “You might actually want to take her up on that offer Rubes. She has more experience with weapons than I do. Either way, I’m tapping out.”

Yang left a befuddled Ruby behind as she headed out. 

“She’s right, I do have some ninja shit going on.”

“Ah! Blake!” Ruby nearly fell over again.

“Sorry, i didn’t mean to startle you…that badly,” Blake smiled, “Yang said something about weapons?”

“Ah…uh. Yeah?”

Blake tilted her head, “You sound uncertain, and yet I see a very large weapon in your grasp.”

Ruby squeaked and reverted Crescent Rose to its rod form. She pushed her fingers together and rocked on her feet as Blake looked on in confusion.

“Ruby, I’m more than happy to spar with you. I can grab Gambol Shroud and be right back.”

Ruby perked up at the name, “Gambol Shroud?”

“Yes?” Blake replied, “It’s somehow easier for people to remember than ‘kusarigama’, so the name stuck.”

“I named my weapon too!” Ruby waved Crescent Rose again and shifted it into a quarterstaff, “Except my baby isn’t just a scythe. She’s also a crossbow.”

Blake chuckled, “I remember, Ruby. It…She’s quite impressive. Care to test her out against Gambol Shroud?”

Ruby shrank into herself again, “I…uh. I don’t really fight good.”

“We all start somewhere,” Blake shrugged and went to retrieve her weapon.

Blake returned in a few minutes to and watched Ruby swing her scythe and nearly fall over. This happened a few more times before she took pity and called out to the younger woman.

“Perhaps we should start with something more basic?”

“No! I think I’ve almost got it, just one mo—ack!” Ruby had pinned herself to a wall with her own scythe, “Okay, maybe something not this.”

“Are you proficient with any basic weapons? Blades? Mauls?”

“I’m not too bad with a quarterstaff,” Ruby said. She extended Crescent Rose and performed some basic kata.

“That’s actually not bad,” Blake said, “Why not just stick with staves?”

“Ah, we’ve been in situations where bludgeoning isn’t enough—I wanted to try something with a blade.”

“Ruby, do you just want to look cool?”

“No!…I mean, I do! But really, the last time we dealt with a bunch of zombies it was less useful to whack ‘em and a lot more efficient to disable them by cutting a limb or three.”

Blake sighed, “Are you not familiar with other pole weapons? Halberds? Poleaxes are probably too heavy for you, but a war scythe should work just fine.”

“…War scythe?”

“Yes…?” Blake tilted her head, “I thought you would be familiar with more weapons since—” Blake gestured at the staff.

“Oh. Not really? I just like making stuff and getting into weapons was sort of a recent development,” Ruby replied. 

“How hard is it for you to give Crescent Rose a new form?”

“I’m just limited by my imagination at this point,” Ruby said, “The hard part is refining each form to a balance or size that I like.”

“Let me sketch a few things out for you, and we can try them out.”

Ruby eagerly pulled out her notebook—unmasked for Blake—and handed a quill over. Blake started sketching different polearm heads: a single axe, double axe, single blade, and various curved blades and tips. 

“For now, we could try the more simple forms—the halberd or glaive,” Blake said, pointing at each after naming them. 

Ruby hummed and nodded. Crescent Rose shifted in her grip. She stepped away from Blake and gave a few swings before stopping and reshaping her weapon. She repeated this a few times until she was satisfied with the balance, and then turned and smiled at Blake. 

“Is this the part where you teach me how to be a ninja?“

* * *

“Ruby! Blake! Dinner's rea…dy?” Yang paused in the doorway, then turned around and shouted, “Weiss! Blake’s on top of your girl!”

“I will cut you, Yang Xiao Long!” a screeched reply. 

Blake laughed from her seat—atop Ruby’s back—as Ruby grumbled about “sneaky ninjas”. Ruby’s ankles were restrained by the chain on Gambol Shroud and she squirmed underneath Blake—a futile effort to free herself. 

Blake stood up and helped Ruby untangle herself, and the two headed towards the kitchen for dinner. Ruby giggled at the sight of Weiss in an apron floating food around. 

* * *

After dinner, Yang finally allowed Weiss to discuss her research. 

“Unfortunately, Penny and I have yet to find any useful information,” Weiss said, “Unless you consider the mating habits of wyverns useful.”

“I wouldn't be using that for personal reference.”

Weiss scowled at Blake, who chuckled in return. 

“Did you ever hear back from Uncle Qrow, Ruby?”

Ruby’s stomach dropped, “…I didn't.”

Weiss and Blake stopped their side bickering. Yang sighed and ran a hand through her hair, “I could try before bed, and you could send another?”

“I guess. You didn't feel anything bad from his band though, right?”

“Uncle Qrow is probably just…he’s fine, or he will be,” Yang said quietly, “I’m going to bed. Good night.”

Yang walked away without waiting for a response. Blake looked at Weiss, who nodded. Blake quickly stood up and went after Yang. 

Weiss turned back to look at Ruby, who was frowning at the table. Perhaps this was the Ruby that Penny referred to. Weiss suddenly recalled Ruby in tears, sharing her sadness with Weiss and apologizing for it. 

“Ruby,” Weiss placed her hand on Ruby’s, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Ruby shook her head. Weiss nodded and continued holding Ruby’s hand. 

“I used to be afraid of people.”

Weiss remained silent, but nodded to acknowledge Ruby. 

“After everything happened, we moved around a lot until Yang convinced Uncle Qrow to let the two of us stay here—she wanted me…us to have a normal life. 

“I hated it. Yang would try to get me to play with other kids, or talk to the neighbors, but I couldn't. I was afraid of new people, and on top of that I was afraid that Uncle Qrow would leave and never come back if he thought I was happy here.”

Ruby bowed her head, “It wasn't very logical, but it made complete sense to me at the time. I don’t really know why I’m rambling—Uncle Qrow probably just forgot to reply or something.”

Weiss waited to see if Ruby would continue before replying, “I don't know your Uncle, but I don't see why anyone would ever want to leave you, Ruby. Ideally, your Uncle is safe and was simply irresponsible about replying, but if he is in danger you have my assistance.”

“Thanks, Weiss,” Ruby replied softly, “Could I stay with you tonight? I usually ask Yang, but I don't want her to worry about me.”

Weiss flushed slightly. They may have cuddled earlier in the day—and last night—but she was too cold and tired at the time to feel embarrassed. She was of clear mind now, and her acceptance would potentially have…implications she didn't want to think about. However, Weiss had never had a close friendship before—or any friends, really. Perhaps she was overthinking Ruby’s request. 

Embarrassment aside, Weiss very much enjoyed the physical affection she’d received from the sisters lately. She could deal with Yang’s teasing if it helped Ruby. 

Ruby interpreted Weiss’ silence as denial and began to apologize before Weiss quietly nodded, “Of course.”

In an effort to lighten the somber mood, Weiss looked at Ruby with a mischievous smile, “I recall informing you of certain consequences if you didn't eat your vegetables.”

Ruby's eyes widened, “Weiss! I totally ate—”

“Not at dinner,” Weiss smirked, “Time for bed!”

“But I wanted to work on Cresc—no! Weiss, you butt!”

Weiss smiled and floated a squirming Ruby to the guest room. 

* * *

“Yang, wait.”

Yang turned around, “Blake, I just want to go to bed, please.”

Blake looked into Yang’s eyes and recognized the weariness behind them. Blake sometimes saw the same in the mirror when she remembered home. Sometimes everything was just too much, and Blake would want silence and solitude. 

“…Okay, Yang. Good night,” Blake replied, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yeah. ‘Night.” Yang shuffled into Ruby’s room, and Blake was left alone wondering if she made the right choice. 

* * *

Some time later—she couldn't tell with her racing mind—Yang gave up on getting rest. Uncle Qrow wasn't the most responsible person, but he put his nieces before anything else in the world. 

He had a soft spot for Ruby, especially—Yang didn't mean that in a bad way, Ruby was just the kind of person people wanted to take care of. He doted on them both in different ways, but he tried especially hard to make up for Ruby’s lost childhood. Yang didn't know what was worse: that she was old enough to really know her parents before losing them, or Ruby never getting a chance to connect with them. 

Yang sat up on the edge of the bed. Ruby didn't come up tonight either, but she probably just bunked with Weiss. She sighed and got up to head to the kitchen—maybe a cup of something warm would help her sleep. 

When she entered the hallway, Yang paused. Blake might be awake still. She could ask for another round of sparring—something to wear her out for sleep. Blake might prefer to talk, but for once Yang was amenable to that idea. 

She walked over to Blake’s—technically it was Yang’s room, but for now it was Blake’s—door and quietly knocked. Yang stepped back to wait for a response. 

Silence. 

“Blake? Can I come in?” Yang called quietly before knocking again.

“Blake?”

Yang threw caution to the wind and decided to crack the door open. The room was dark, and a little cooler than usual. She stepped in fully and glanced at the bed—empty. Her window was open—just a crack, but enough to let the night air in. 

Blake was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wink wonk  
> Don't worry guys, Blake's just an indoor/outdoor cat
> 
> (don't leave house cats outdoors they're too dumb for the real world)
> 
> Full disclaimer: I have no martial arts background! If any of you do, let me know how you felt about the fight scene!
> 
> I spent 3 hours straight on YouTube watching MMA fights and random clips to see if Wing Chun/JKD were viabke for real combat. Apparently that's a raging debate, but it seems most MMA fans consider WC a 'movie' style
> 
> Regardless, Blake's style has its foundations in Wing Chun, though she also incorporates aspects of Northern Kung Fu for midrange combat and her mobility. As a rogue, she prefers to use her dexterity and speed to fight, so she her main tactics are: arm clinches to force openings she can exploit, feints/acrobatics to slip around an opponent's guard, and Judo throws to counter large, bulky opponents.
> 
> Yang is mostly a striker (in MMA terms, not DND), though she has some decent groundwork as well. Her style is based on Muay Thai, some aspects of Southern Dragon Kung Fu, and BJJ. In contrast to Blake, Yang uses her strength and constitution to overpower and out endure her opponents.
> 
> Basically, Blake prefers to use more "soft" techniques where she redirects blows, while Yang prefers "hard" techniques where she blocks and stays steady.
> 
> This was not an accurate depiction of either character's combat ability.
> 
> Blake is much more annoying with Gambol Shroud—as Ruby learned later on in the chapter. If she's able to surprise someone, the sickle end is used for a quick execution or the chain can be used to choke for a nonlethal takedown. If she's actively engaging an opponent, she can use Gambol Shroud like a three-section staff to entangle her opponent, or simply use the sickle. 
> 
> Yang had a lot of things going on during her spar with Blake that affected her combat ability. She was distracted by everything going on, and subsequently allowed herself to become goaded into anger/frustration. She's also not used to dealing with slippery fighters. Most of her experience is from brawling or dungeon raiding—much simpler targets. In addition, Yang's main role—mechanically—is to take hits so others don't.


	13. The Lost Scion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang needed… She didn't know what she needed but she needed something because everything felt wrong.
> 
> Uncle Qrow could be dead in a ditch somewhere—was Blake hurt too? Was Ruby gone too?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/10/18] minor revisions - don't write one fic in past tense and another in present tense. it fucks u up good
> 
> Content warning: There are descriptions of dissociation and having a panic attack. If you would like to avoid this, skip to the second scene break, starting with Blake's POV

Yang couldn’t breathe. 

Her mind raced with terrible thoughts. Did she push Blake to leave? Was Blake taken? Did danger come to them? 

She ran over to the bed, tossing the sheets off as though Blake could be hidden there. Her wardrobe was opened and violently searched. 

Where? Where? Where? 

Where was Blake?

Yang couldn't hear anything beyond her own heartbeat and ragged breathing. She couldn't feel anything—couldn't feel her own body. Somehow the world was heavy and time both fast and too slow. 

Yang needed… She didn't know what she needed but she needed _something_ because everything felt wrong.

Uncle Qrow could be dead in a ditch somewhere—was Blake hurt too? Was _Ruby_ gone too?

Somehow, she dragged herself to sit at her desk. She was having trouble feeling her fingers and focusing her sight. Her arm landed on the surface of her desk and brushed against something. 

Rustling? 

Her body turned towards the noise—she could barely feel it. Something white? Crinkling? 

Paper! 

Yang felt the world come back into focus like fuzz being pulled from her mind. A note—Blake had left a note. 

> Yang, I need to take care of something, but I should be back in a few hours.
> 
> If I’m not back by morning, something is wrong. 
> 
> Blake

* * *

_Blake watched Yang close the door. She could still change her mind—she could push Yang to talk about what was bothering her. At the very least, spending more time with her was appealing._

_Blake continued staring at the closed door. After hearing the rustle of Yang going to bed, she resolved to try again in the morning and headed to Yang’s room._

_Yang’s room was as she left it this morning, and her books from the town store were stacked on Yang’s desk. It wasn't terribly late yet, and Blake hadn't been able to indulge in her favorite hobby in a **long** time. Blake changed into fresh nightclothes and brought her books to Yang’s bed._

_It was fortunate that she found a bookshop here, especially since books were mostly sold for knowledge and spells. The owner—Tukson?—seemed to have good taste in literature, and was quite generous as well._

_Blake enjoyed discussing stories as much as she enjoyed reading them. Perhaps he would as well—he did give her an extra book after all. Blake opened Tukson’s gift, and a note slipped out._

_Strange._

_A quick inspection showed it was **probably** safe to read, though Blake was getting tired of being caught off guard. She set the book aside and picked the note up off the floor. _

> _Miss Belladonna,_
> 
> _I apologize for not speaking openly, but I assumed you had your own reasons for concealing your identity. I don't know how Menagerie’s long lost heir ended up in Patch, but I wanted to offer my assistance, should you require it._
> 
> _Though I have not lived within Menagerie in many years, I still regard your father as my Chieftain. The Belladonna family has done much good for me in the past, and I would be honored to return the favor._
> 
> _If you would like to speak further, I live above the bookstore._
> 
> _Elders beside us,_
> 
> _Tukson_

_Blake worried her lip as she read and reread the note. She hadn’t mentioned her family name in years. Could this be a trap? Had the Fang caught up to her?_

_Even if the note was completely honest and sincere, Blake needed to see if she could trust Tukson to keep her identity secret._

_Blake need to deal with this—the sooner, the better. She looked out of Yang’s window. The night was still young, so she could make a quick trip and still have time to rest. Blake dressed in her gear—her leathers, her pouches, and her weapon holstered on her back._

_After checking for anything missing, Blake opened the window. She nearly leaped out, but the image of Yang, fragile on the sparring mat stopped her. Yang's desk didn't have paper, but there were things to write with. Blake wrote quickly on the backside of the note, and exited the room._

* * *

The streets were empty, though Blake still darted from shadow to shadow as she made her way to the bookstore. When the shop was in view, she climbed up to a nearby rooftop to scout. Ruby probably provided the town with some sort of magical defense, but she couldn’t be too cautious.

Blake watched the area for movement and light. She’d often spotted an ambush at the last second by the glint of a blade. Minutes passed, and she saw nothing but a solitary guard on patrol. 

Blake leapt across rooftops until she reached the balcony of Tukson’s shop. There was dim light peeking out from underneath the door, and Blake knocked sharply. She heard soft footsteps and tenses, hand hovering by Gambol Shroud’s grip.

“Hello? How may I—ah, Miss Blake! How can I be of service?” Tukson greeted pleasantly. 

Blake relaxed slightly, “Could we speak inside? I’d like to discuss… your note.”

Tukson’s eyes widened, and he scrambled to open the door wider, “Of course, you are always welcome here.”

Blake eyed the doorway warily, but entered anyways. Tukson gently shut the door as Blake took in the room. The room was kept warm by a fireplace and there were cushioned chairs set alongside tables and small bookshelves.

Tukson dropped to one knee and faced Blake, “Stars guide us, scion of Belladonna.”

“Elders beside us, Tukson,” Blake shifted uncomfortably, “Please, be at ease—I have not been the scion of Belladonna for…a long time.”

Tukson looked at Blake with confusion, “You have never stopped being the honored child, Blake. The clan has missed you.”

Blake avoided making eye contact with Tukson. The large man rose to his feet, “I was just about to fix myself a pot of tea, would you like to join me?”

“…That sounds nice,” Blake replied. 

Tukson walked further into his home, “Please sit, make yourself comfortable.”

Blake awkwardly settled into one of the armchairs, and considered keeping Gambol Shroud in her lap. As paranoid as she was, having her weapon in front of her would probably alarm Tukson, so she settled on leaning it against the chair.

Tukson returned with a tray for tea with two cups and small snacks. He poured tea for both of them and offered one cup to Blake. 

“Yang—she’s the scribe’s sister—grows and blends her own tea. She doesn't sell much of it, since she’s out of town so often,” Tukson said, “But she was willing to trade some for a birthday present for Ruby. It’s delicious.”

Blake waited for Tukson to drink before she sipped from her own cup. It was the same tea she’d had all day, and the roast flavor reminded her of Yang. She also helped herself to some of the snacks—dried fish and crackers—after Tukson ate.

“How did you know?”

“That you are our long lost scion?” Tucson replied, “To be frank, I recognized you as Adam’s lieutenant first—”

Blake stood up, ready to fight. 

“—wait! I’m not with the Fang!”

Blake’s ears flattened and she stared coldly at Tukson, “Adam can _go to hell_!”

“I agree! I left the Fang a long time ago,” Tukson explained, “After the first… _incident_ , I had a bad feeling about things. I returned to Menagerie soon after—before things became militant, from what I heard. However, I enjoyed Patch previously during my travels, and I moved here.

“The Chieftain and Chieftainess still miss you, you know.” he finished. 

Blake sank back into her seat. 

“They shouldn't,” Blake said softly, “Not after… If they knew who I am—who I became—they wouldn't feel that way.”

Tukson took a slow sip before replying, “You don’t know until you try, Blake. I’m very sure the clan—including your parents—would welcome you back with open arms.”

“I…even if they would, I don't deserve it.”

“Blake. Sometimes the hardest forgiveness to earn is your own,” Tukson said, “They love you, even if you think you don't deserve it—don't waste it. Or you may find yourself coming home too late.”

At his last statement, Tukson frowns at the ground—lost in a memory. The two sit in a somber silence, both remembering a happier time. 

“Tukson.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like you to keep my presence here to yourself.”

Tukson pauses, then nods, “Of course, honored child”

“I’m not—!…I’m making a request, as Blake. Not Blake _Belladonna_ ”

Tukson smiles, “I’ll honor your request regardless. However, I request that you consider at least sending word home—they would be overjoyed to know you are safe.”

“…I’ll consider it. Thank you for the tea, Tukson. I should be on my way.”

“Of course, you're welcome anytime. Starlight upon you.”

“Elder’s blessings, Tukson.”

* * *

Blake avoided the lone guard on her return trip. She scaled the house easily—Ruby didn't ward her home?—and slipped into Yang’s room. She closed the window behind her and sighs in relief. 

Blake started to change before she realized the bed was occupied. After a second glance, she realizes it's Yang—asleep, curled up with the note in her hand. Blake finished changing quietly and walks over to Yang. She gently pries the note from her grip and slips it back into a book. 

With Yang’s bed now occupied—by Yang herself, for once—Blake heads towards the door to sleep in Ruby’s bunk, but stops when she hears Yang mumble. 

“…stay?”

Blake turns and sees a groggy Yang—eyes barely open—shift to make room on the bed before holding the covers open for Blake. Blake hesitated—there were so many reasons this wasn't a good idea—but gave in when she noticed the tear tracks on Yang’s face. 

She slides in next to Yang and allows the blonde to spoon her. Yang is warm, warmer than anything Blake’s ever known. Blake relaxes into her embrace, savoring the quiet affection. 

“…—as scared.”

“Hm?”

“Thought you were gone…—was scared.” Yang mumbled. 

“I’m here now, Yang. Go to sleep.”

“Night night Blakey.”

“Good night, Yang.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 4am why am I awake???


	14. Fishies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well, I have noticed that you and Ruby have been sleeping in the same quarters as Blake and Weiss, so I assumed that their presence will be a long term addition to the household,” Penny replied, “As such, it would be best to distribute storage space and accommodate their palate preferences for meals.”
> 
> Ruby and Yang met eyes awkwardly. Blake beamed at Penny while Weiss dropped her head to the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/10/18] minor revisions
> 
> This chapter ended up being _way_ longer than I expected.
> 
> At first I thought I was being really slow to update, but then I realized it's been like... two, maybe three days since my last chapter.
> 
> Brains are weird guys.  
> \--  
> Also, I skimmed all the previous chapters for typos/formatting issues (keyword: skim), so for those of you who like to reread things, I hope it's less of a pain now!
> 
> I apologize in advance for future chapters though—I do the majority of my writing on my phone, so the mix of autocorrect, smaller keyboard, and limited cursor function makes typos a near guarantee.

Ruby felt warm—a little too warm—but her limbs were too tangled to fix her blankets. She blinked her eyes open.

She was in the guest room again. Ruby distinctly remembered Weiss plopping her onto her cot—how did Penny know to move it back in here?—with a mumbled apology about her behavior when ill.

Ruby wriggled in place. She didn’t usually use enough blankets to feel warm, and definitely not enough to get stuck. She heard soft mumbling behind her—ah. 

It took Ruby a few moments, but she managed to turn around enough to see Weiss behind her. The psion was sleeping quite deeply—Ruby was not a gentle wriggler—so Ruby spent more time unwinding the covers around her.

After escaping her entombment, Ruby looked at Weiss again. They weren’t in a rush this morning—Fecunir was pretty boring anyways. Ruby closed her eyes and let herself fall asleep to the sound of soft breaths.

* * *

Ruby was awake again. It wasn’t that much later—she didn’t feel groggy enough for her to have slept deeply. She heard sound…a voice?

“…this is.”

Ruby stretched in place and yawned.

“…way. Oh! Ruby!,” Weiss said, “I’m _so_ sorry I swear I’ve never done this before.”

Ruby opened her eyes to the elf’s worried expression, “Mmngh. It’s too early for you to be this wound up. It’s fine Weiss—Yang and I cuddle all the time.”

Ruby got out of bed and stretched again.

“I’m going to go see about breakfast,” Ruby smiled and left, “I want something sweet!”

Weiss watched the young half-elf walk away. Despite her departure, Weiss still felt warm.

She didn’t think Ruby was quite right—this felt a little different from her memories with Winter and Grandfather.

* * *

Ruby’s hopes were answered when she saw Yang enter with a platter of pancakes. She ran towards the table but was kept from the sweets by a strong arm on her forehead.

“Yaaaang! Not cool!” Ruby whined as she struggled to reach the plate in Yang’s other hand, “C’mon!”

Yang chuckled. “Wash up first, and we’re _sharing_ these you little gremlin.”

Ruby pouted as she headed over to the wash basin.

“Good morning to you too, Ruby.”

“Blake!…I guess I should expect that by now,” Ruby finished washing her hands and looked at Blake lounging in a chair, “Good morning!”

“You can certainly try,” Blake smiled, “Is your girlfriend still sleeping?”

“Hm? Weiss is aw—she’s not my girlfriend!” Ruby flushed, “You are both my friends! Who are girls!”

“Blake, I do not appreciate your assumptions on our friendship,” Weiss entered the dining area, “Good morning, Yang. Breakfast looks lovely.”

Yang brought the rest of breakfast—warm bread, cheese, eggs, and roasted vegetables from the night before—and joined the group at the table, “Since we’re heading out today I wanted to fill up, just in case.”

“A splendid idea,” Weiss replied, floating food onto her plate, “I must say, despite the circumstances, I am looking forward to visiting Fecunir.”

“Why? The University people ar jerks!” Ruby frowned, “Unless you were talking about the food.”

“Sounds like there’s a story there,” Blake said.

Ruby’s frown darkened, “They were going to…they wanted to take Penny apart. I brought her there to see if they could help her, and they didn’t care about her feelings—they saw her as an artifact to study.”

Weiss shifted uncomfortably in her seat, “Did…was Penny able to communicate at that time?”

“What do you mean?” Ruby turned to Weiss, “She’s always been able to talk!”

“I didn’t mean anything by it!” Weiss explained, “It’s just…if Penny never spoke I would have mistaken her for a regular golem.”

“So you think what they wanted to do was okay?!” Ruby shook visibly.

“No! Not at all! I’m just explaining their thought process!” Weiss exclaimed, “But they’re idiots—it didn’t take me long to realize Penny is more than a simple golem.”

Ruby’s anger bled out of her, “...Sorry. I just get really upset about it.”

Weiss nodded as Blake and Yang awkwardly watched.

“Speaking of Penny, did you let her know we’re going to be out for a while?” Yang broke the silence.

Ruby jumped, “Oh gosh, I didn’t!”

Weiss stopped Ruby from dashing out, “Finish your breakfast first, Ruby!”

“Nah, let her go Weiss,” Yang said, “More dessert for us!”

“Noooo!”

* * *

Ruby had practically inhaled the rest of her breakfast—even her pancakes—so she could let Penny know they were going to be out for a few days. The other three remained, eating at a normal pace.

Ruby returned with Penny in tow just as they finished eating, “Hey, are there any—Can I have that pancake?”

“You had four before you left the table!”

“Well…yeah, but I’ve got a separate stomach for dessert and I’d hate to let food go to waste!”

Weiss stared at Ruby, befuddled, “How did you give yourself an extra stomach? Manipulating planar portals in objects is one thing, but how are you alive with a planar extension inside you?”

“I’m pretty sure she wasn't being literal, Weiss,” Blake deadpanned.

“Nope! Rubes totally did that so she wouldn't be ‘too full’ when our parents had sweets,” Yang said.

Blake and Weiss beamed at Yang, then looked strangely at Ruby, who pouted.

“Yang’s lying! I just really like dessert, okay?” Ruby spoke over Yang’s laughter.

Blake looked relieved and Weiss flushed in embarrassment. Ruby used the gap in conversation to steal the last pancake.

“Greetings, friends!” Penny walked into the room, “Ruby has informed me that you will be traveling for a few days. If you have any belongings you wish to store here or groceries you would like available upon your return, please let me know.”

Yang wrapped her arm around Penny, “Penny! You don’t need to worry about that stuff! It’s only going to be a few days!”

“Well, I have noticed that you and Ruby have been sleeping in the same quarters as Blake and Weiss, so I assumed that their presence will be a long term addition to the household,” Penny replied, “As such, it would be best to distribute storage space and accommodate their palate preferences for meals.”

Ruby and Yang met eyes awkwardly. Blake beamed at Penny while Weiss dropped her gaze to the table.

Penny noticed their reactions, “Have I assumed incorrectly? Blake and Weiss will not be staying with us?”

Ruby noticed Blake blanch, and hastily replied, “We don’t know if they want to yet, Penny. But you both are more than welcome to stay with us! Here!…Or elsewhere! But still with us?…I’m going to be quiet.”

Weiss picked her head up during Ruby’s flustered rambling, but her reply was cut off by Blake, “I would love to stay with you two—three, with Weiss.”

“I…also enjoy your company,” Weiss said, “Penny, would you be able to determine the additional household expenses incurred by my addition? I would like to ‘carry my weight’, as the phrase goes.”

“The same goes for me, of course,” Blake added, “We’ve been basically freeloading until now, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize!” Yang said, “It’s not like you guys could’ve gone elsewhere with what was going on. We technically dragged you a kingdom away without your knowledge.”

Weiss quirked her brow, “How so?”

“Oh!…Did I not tell you our house is in Seldwyn?” Ruby chirped, “Or at least…it’s usually in Seldwyn.”

“…you can enlighten me while we travel to the University,” Weiss sighed. She hadn’t done much study on planar travelling—her spatial intelligence excelled in three dimensions, but she floundered with anything beyond four—and thinking too hard about Ruby’s portals made her head hurt.

“I am glad that you two would like to remain here!” Penny said, “Would you like to request anything while you are out?”

Blake and Weiss both shrugged.

“Get Blake some fish.” “Weiss likes ‘aw-ful’.” 

The two sisters spoke at the same time. Blake and Weiss both started to protest their statements but were silenced with a look from both sisters.

“You can tell Penny your requests,” Yang said, “Or you can just let us keep guessing. Seriously, if you're sticking around, then relax and let us make sure the ice box is stocked with what you like.”

“And if you guys are hung up on coin or whatever, Penny’s great at accounting—down to the copper—and we can split expenses,” Ruby added.

Weiss looked at Ruby’s earnest expression and sighed, “As Ruby stated, I do enjoy offal, and if your butcher has any Fraejian sausages or meats, I would very much enjoy that.”

Blake spoke after Weiss, “I do like fish, but I’m sure it's hard to find this far inland. If the dried fish you currently have isn't too expensive, I would like that as well.”

“Wonderful! I have been looking forward to visiting the butcher again—his daughter offered to make me a ‘flower crown’.” Penny said, “You are more than welcome to leave unnecessary belongings in your current accommodation. I can place valuables in a secure storage for you as well!”

“Thanks, Penny! Do you want anything from the city?” Ruby asked, “Besides books, I mean.”

“Oh! I would love some new fabric! I’ve been tailoring my old clothes for this body, but I would enjoy fashioning new garments as well!”

Ruby gave Penny a thumbs up before turning back to the table, “Do you guys want to meet up in the See-Go room in a half hour or so? I want to pack a few more things—oh, wait let me bind your band to Penny’s, Yang.”

Ruby tugged her sister over to Penny and placed a hand on each gem. Her eyes glowed briefly before the gems lit up with a similar energy. Ruby removed her hands and let her eyes dim, and the gems soon followed.

“Great! See you guys in a bit!” Ruby zoomed off to her workshop.

* * *

The group assembled in a familiar room, where Ruby was already working to set their destination.

“It turns out that big cities with wizards don’t like it when you teleport directly inside,” Ruby said, “So I’m dropping us off a little bit outside.”

“What happens if you teleport directly in?” Blake asked.

“They have some dumb ward or whatever set up that forces you to teleport into a specific room,” Yang grumbled, “You have to go through a bunch of annoying paperwork, so we usually just enter from the outside.”

“That’s rather tame,” Weiss added, “Some of the more…elitist guilds within Skolaris would dump you into a pit if you tried to teleport in.”

The other three winced.

“If you were lucky, it would be empty,” Weiss added, “But the standard was a flooded pit. More secretive guilds filled theirs with acid, poison gas, or—”

Weiss stopped when she saw the others’ horrified expressions.

“…On _that_ pleasant note, we’re all set to go!“ Ruby said.

The four walked into the doorway, appearing at the side of a road upon exit. It was a short walk to the city gate, where they were allowed entry as merchants—Ruby showed some of her stock and claimed the other three as bodyguards.

Yang led them to a seedy tavern. Before the group split into pairs, they agreed to meet at the tavern at dusk—or earlier, if they found anything useful. Weiss and Ruby were going to head to the University while Yang was going to bring Blake to meet her “connections”.

* * *

“That’s quite a creative use of personal planes,” Weiss spoke to Ruby as they strolled down the main pathway, “Why not keep your house on its own plane permanently?”

“I _could_ do that, but it's difficult to communicate with other planes,” Ruby replied, “Yang and I wouldn't be able to receive messages from Uncle Qrow then, or Penny, now that she has a band as well.”

They continued their conversation as they walked—Weiss was intrigued by Ruby’s bands, and Ruby wanted Weiss’ input on how to make them smaller. When the University was in sight, Ruby stopped abruptly.

“Ruby?”

The half-elf was slightly shaking, “Weiss, are you uh…do you know that they’ll definitely let you in?”

“Yes?” Weiss was confused by Ruby’s hesitation, ”I’m _technically_ a research fellow in Skolaris, which grants me access to affiliate universities—Fecunir has an agreement with us.”

“Uh, why only technically?”

“Research fellows are usually expected to research. My expertise in Psionic Studies grants me that position within the hierarchy at Skolaris, but I’m not obligated to research or publish papers.”

“All the perks and none of the responsibilities?”

“Exactly,” Weiss smirked.

Ruby sighed, “That should be good then. I know where the library is, so let's get there quickly.

Ruby walked rapidly ahead of Weiss, increasing her pace after they entered the campus. Weiss had no idea why Ruby seemed so hurried—she wanted answers too, but the library wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

“Hey! Who let a mutt in here?”

Ah. That would explain Ruby’s behavior. Weiss walked faster to catch up.

A student grabbed Ruby's cloak, “You're not welcome here, knife-ear! Go back to your forest!”

“Maybe she’s too dumb to talk,” another jeered.

The first student continued pulling at Ruby’s cloak as she struggled to escape his grip, “I don't even know why they let the natives into the city—you just get mutts like her.”

Ruby’s eyes were tearing. She could probably take these guys down with her staff, but not before they could cast on her.

“Well? What made you think you could walk around he—ah!”

The student loosened his grip in surprise as he and his friend were suddenly inverted in the air.

“Hey! Put us down you little sh—ck!”

Weiss glared as she closed the man’s mouth. She held the students upside down, at eye level.

“Elves have been mastering arcana for centuries before humans even learned to stop shitting themselves. _You_ are not even worth a tenth of the girl in front of you. The both of you could dedicate your entire lives to magic and still be less impressive than her left toenail.

“I can tell by your robes that you have yet to even master a single arcane orbital, and probably bought your way into this University with your family’s money. That girl performs feats beyond your comprehension as leisure, despite never having set foot in a classroom. _Respect_ your _betters._

“I am going to set you down. You are going to _apologize_ to my companion for your disrespect, and to me for _wasting my time_.

“Are we clear, gentlemen?”

The two students were still unable to speak, so they nodded frantically. Weiss continued glaring coldly as she set them on their feet.

“Well? I’m _waiting_ ,” Weiss folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

The two men sneered. The larger student lunged at Weiss while the other blasted a spell towards her.

Weiss rolled her eyes as she picked up the larger student and used him to shield herself from the spell.

“What is the meaning of this?” a deep voice shouted into the courtyard.

Weiss set the student down and turned to see a professor walking up to the group.

“Winchester! Lark! Explain.”

The larger student spoke first, “Professor Port! These kni—…intruders attacked us when we asked them where they were going!”

The smaller student nodded behind him.

The professor turned to Ruby and Weiss, “Assaulting students is a serious crime.”

Weiss had to suppress the urge to scoff, “These students had laid hands on my companion first, Professor. We are not intruders. I am Professor Schnee from Skolaris Academy, and my companion and I are to research. Your students assaulted my companion for her elven heritage—I hope this isn't a reflection of your university’s viewpoint.”

Weiss made a small hand motion that produced a sigil in the air, which Professor Port examined before nodding.

“My deepest apologies on behalf of Fecunir University, Professor Schnee,” Professor Port bowed his head, “I assure you these two will be disciplined _severely_ for their actions. The University does not condone such behavior.”

He turned to the students, “Your behavior has reflected poorly upon this institution. This matter will be brought to the headmistress directly—your department dean will not have input on your disciplinary action.”

“I do not hold the University accountable for these students’ actions. However, my companion and I must be on our way.”

“Yes, of course, Professor Schnee. Please make use of our facilities as you see fit.”

Weiss gave the students a final glare before walking towards Ruby, who had been standing and staring.

Ruby looked down as Weiss approached, “I’m sorry for causing you all that trouble, Weiss.”

“Nonsense! Those hooligans are at fault, not you.”

“Well, I’m still sorry it happened. C’mon, we’re fairly close to their main library.”

Weiss caught a glimpse of Ruby’s grin before she was pulled by the hand towards a large building. Upon entering the library, Weiss presented her sigil again, to the librarian, and received a token to access the reserved area.

The pair stepped onto an engraved sigil, which transported them to a smaller lobby. Another clerk greeted them and explained the reserved areas policies—books could not be removed, but readers were allowed to take notes or copy pages. The library lent polyglot gems for more obscure texts—though most visitors didn't need it.

Weiss declined the gems, but Ruby borrowed a set—”just in case, Weiss!”. They were allowed to pass through a stone gateway—”Weiss? Is this going to drop us into acid?”—and arrived at a small room filled with bookshelves. There were tables, chairs, and stationery in the corner.

“…perhaps we could look for historical references to ‘Fall’ or large scale mage organizations?”

“Uh…I’m going to follow your lead on this one,” Ruby replied, “But I brought all the parchment I have if you want to make any copies.”

The pair fell into a workflow—Weiss would search for books and skim for relevant text while Ruby magically copied whatever Weiss gave her. After a few hours, they came up with little information—the occasional allusion to mysterious groups and figures lost to history.

“Ugh, there’s so many _words,_ Weiss!” Ruby groaned in her seat.

Weiss nodded sympathetically, “It's a common occurrence in academia—there is simply too much knowledge, yet none of it is useful to your current endeavor.”

Ruby groaned again.

Weiss continued, “Well, we still have another option to gather information—we could seek a professor in the field.”

“Of what? Crazy mages?”

Weiss rolled her eyes, “No. Or rather, _more_ than just crazy mages. I recall encountering a visiting professor shortly after my academic promotion. He specialized in the history of arcana and its users—and I believe he resides here.”

“Why didn't we talk to him first?” Ruby exclaimed.

Weiss blushed, “Well. I didn't _exactly_ remember him until I kept seeing the same author appear in the texts I pulled. Bartholomew Oobleck.”

* * *

Yang waved at her sister and Weiss as they left, a wide grin plastered on her face. Once they were out of sight, her grin fell and she turned to look at Blake.

“Listen, my connections are actually within this tavern,” Yang spoke softly, “This place is a front for an underground fighting ring, and the owner sells information on the side.”

“You want us to stay at this place?” Blake hissed.

Yang leaned back, “Whoa! Don't worry, even if it's just a front it's still the best place in town. They’re discreet and secure for their own sake, and the rooms are decent.”

Blake narrowed her eyes, “So what's your plan?”

“I'm glad you asked!” Yang grinned, “I figured we could each do what we do best.”

Blake raised an eyebrow.

“You can be a sneaky ninja cat,” Yang explained, “And I can be a very _visible_ distraction.”

Blake agreed, it was _very_ distracting to have Yang’s cleavage in her face.

“Eyes up here kitty-cat.”

Blake willed herself not to blush. Her blush won.

Yang smirked, “The entrance to the ring is in the cellar, which you can get to from the kitchen. It's probably empty right now, so you can sneak in and drop a couple Eyebies so we can spy on here later.”

“I can do that. Anything I should watch out for?”

“Junior’s not into magic, so his office door should be easy to pick. He’s got a pair of bodyguards—twins, but I’ve never seen them during the day.”

“Alright,” Blake settled into a neutral expression, “I’ll enter a few minutes after you.”

Yang winked and handed Blake a handful of stones before walking towards the tavern, “Better be quick, or I might get lonely.”

* * *

Blake watched Yang enter the tavern, then walked away. She found a suitable rooftop and circled the block to check for any back doors or windows into the tavern—no luck, only one way in and out.

She dropped down from a different roof top and walked back to the entry. Her sensitive ears didn't pick up much, so they probably didn't have a doorman. Hopefully, Yang would have mentioned it if they did.

Blake slowed her breathing and entered the tavern. The interior was rather average: a simple bar and scattered tables in various levels of disrepair. Thankfully, they kept the lighting rather dim, and the only person around was the bartender—who was practically face-to-face with Yang. Blake forced her annoyance down—she needed to focus on the mission, not some scruffy asshole invading Yang’s personal space.

Blake retreated to a dark corner to look for the kitchen entrance. It seemed she was just unlucky today because it was behind the bar. However, Yang didn't even seem to have noticed her entry, and if the bartender was as distracted as he looked, she could probably slip inside without a trace.

She crept along the wall, watching Yang’s conversation with the bartender. Whatever Yang was doing, it had _definitely_ caught his attention. He was practically nose to nose with her at this point, both their faces flushed.

It was just the mission. This was Yang’s role.

Blake had to repeat those words over and over in her mind to hold herself back from clawing the man’s eyes out. Once her mind had settled—not completely, but enough—she darted behind the bartender and into the kitchen.

She could just slap a dick drawing to his back later. That always made her feel better.

The kitchen appeared to be empty, which was not unusual for this hour. If anyone stumbled in and asked for food they probably just got last night’s stew. She listened to double check for any hidden guards, but it seemed the hard part was over.

The cellar door was easy to find—it reminded her of when they first met. Unlike the Moonweaver, however, this cellar door opened to reveal stairs. It wasn't lit—a bonus for her since she could see anyways. She closed the cellar door behind herself—she didn't want to risk leaving it open in case the bartender wandered back here.

She descended the dark stairwell—it went surprisingly deep—and found herself entering a gargantuan cavern. Unlike the stairwell, this area was dimly lit with torches. From where she stood she could see a crude arena carved from the stone, ending in a walled pit.

She kept to the shadows and scouted the area. Besides the arena pit, there was wooden cabin built atop a ledge with hewn stone stairs leading to the entrance. The cabin had a singular window overlooking the arena and showed signs of movement within the brightly lit room.

Blake would have to be quick then.

Since the cavern was empty for now, she placed a few of the stones—Eyebies?—at vantage points surrounding the arena. Ruby mentioned only being able to see through these, and that she could read lips, so Blake placed a few within the arena seating as well.

After surveying her work, she glanced at the—presumed—office again. Whoever was inside hadn’t left, but they weren’t near the window either. She climbed along the stone walls and landed softly on the office roof. Now that she was closer, she could see that the windows were not blocked with slats or glass—ideally not magic either.

She listened for a few moments—two occupants, female. Blake could enter and knock out them out, but they would alert the owner whenever they awoke. Her other option was to lure them out of the office and hope they were distracted long enough to scout the room. There was the third option of simply waiting them out, but Blake didn’t want to leave Yang alone for that long.

After five minutes of waiting, she threw out the last option. She didn’t have any magical distractions either, but she could be creative. Growing up in a never ending prank war with your best friend was excellent training for being sneaky.

Blake had numerous pouches along her waist and her crossbody strap—she should ask Ruby if she could make her a bag of universe breaking—containing different trinkets and baubles. She pulled out a handful of caltrops and a slingshot. She aimed for the bottom of the office stairwell and was satisfied when the pile scattered nicely.

The next part would rely on timing. She had five glass vials—empty—and if she ran out of those, she might have an empty flask or two as well. She pulled out another vial filled with oil and stuffed a rag under the stopper—a last resort. She hoped whoever was in there had good hearing. She took a deep breath, then flung one of the vials at the nearby stairs.

The two people inside—hadn’t Yang mentioned twins?—stopped their conversation. When Blake didn’t hear any signs of movement, she flung another vial at the same location and used her slingshot to fling another two farther off.

The door opened to reveal a dark haired figure. She didn’t seem alarmed enough for Blake’s taste, so she had to pull out the big guns. She waited for the figure to return inside—luckily, she left the door open—and quickly sparked the oil rag until it caught. She hurled the flaming oil vial as far as she could, and then hastily tossed her last empty vial by the staircase again.

The same figure walked to the doorway and called out, “Ugh. Melanie, someone’s trying to rig the fights _again._ ”

The voice within replied, “It’s your turn to check, Militia.”

“Ugh. Fine.”

Blake watched the woman swiftly descend the stairs and had to stifle a giggle when she fell ass over heels at the bottom. Her resulting cry of pain also pulled the other woman to look at the entryway.

“Can you not even _walk_ , ugh,” Blake really hated how these twins spoke. Or maybe just their voices.

The woman in white walked down towards her twin—Blake could see them clearly now. She tuned out the sound of bickering and swung into the open doorway. The room inside was thankfully simple. Blake placed another few Eyebies in the office in discreet locations before sweeping the room for valuables—notes, ledgers, anything. The twins sounded like they were sweeping the cavern, so Blake had some time to search the desk.

She skimmed the papers on top—nothing useful. The first drawer she opened also contained nothing of value. She tried a different drawer, but it was locked.

Excellent.

The drawer lock wasn’t complicated—well, it was for a desk drawer, but not compared to what Blake’s seen—and she managed to unlock it easily. Her efforts were rewarded with a small journal. Blake flipped through it and smirked.

She shut the drawer and locked it from the outside. The sisters weren’t talking, so she couldn’t tell where they were, but she didn’t hear approaching footsteps. A quick peek out the doorway showed one twin guarding the exit, and the other prowling the cavern.

Blake sighed. She hated dealing with competent guards.

When the twins weren’t facing the office, Blake slipped out and darted for the closest shadowy corner. She continued shifting from shadow to shadow—she made considerable progress when one of the twins was at the bottom of the pit—until she was close to the exit.

The twins were human—if she could make it to the stairwell, they wouldn’t be able to see or hear her. She was out of vials and she didn’t want to waste a potion for a distraction. She _did_ still have her slingshot, however, and there were a few pebbles around her.

Blake grinned wryly to herself. Yang had better buy her a drink if she pulls this off.

Blake shifted to find a good angle within cover. She thanked the twin in red for standing still and aimed. She took a deep breath and released after exhaling.

"Ugh, ow!”

Blake shot the pebble against the cavern wall and managed to nail the guard on the opposite side of her head. As soon as the twin turned, Blake darted quickly towards the stairs and leapt towards the stairs on her blind side, then climbed rapidly through a series of wall jumps.

* * *

“Nngh, you still owe me for last—mmph!” Blake heard a strangled voice from the other side of the door. Annoyance aside, Blake couldn’t complain that Yang’s methods were ineffective.

“I don’t think I heard you right, what did you say?” Yang taunted.

“—Okay Blondie! You can fight tonight! Anything! Agh!”

“I can fight tonight?”

“You can fight tonight, Sir!”

Damn, Yang was kinky.

Blake edged out of the kitchen and saw Yang pinning the bartender to a wall. Her eyes narrowed, but she wouldn’t turn down an excellent distraction. She left the tavern and then turned around to make a _loud_ entrance.

As the door slammed against the wall, Blake watched Yang continue pinning the man to the wall, her hand against his crotch.

_This was a mission. Yang was just performing her role._

Blake had turned her down anyways—she had _no_ right to be jealous.

Yang turned to the doorway with angry red eyes that softened to lilac when she saw Blake. Yang turned back to face the bartender, and Blake swore she saw Yang’s hair glow. The man grunted before Yang stepped away and gave him a playful slap on the cheek.

“Always fun doing business ya, Junior,” Yang brushed her hands together as she walked towards Blake, “Blakey! Just in time, I’m all finished here, so let’s hit the town!”

The childish side of Blake wanted to brush her off, but then she noticed the bartender groaning and limping towards the kitchen. Yang followed her gaze and grinned, “Junior and I go _way_ back. I’ve had him by the balls for years. Literally.”

Blake stared blankly at Yang as they exited the tavern.

“No, seriously. I’m surprised they’re still there considering how much trauma they’ve gone through.”

Blake recovered enough to test the waters, “Well, I hope that’s not how you treat all your partners.”

“Ew. No. Ugh, he’s _way_ too old for my tastes,” Yang gagged, “He’s also weak as shit—major turnoff.”

Blake felt the pressure on her chest ease, “So you _like_ ending up on the floor then? I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”

Blake winked before continuing, “In any case, your distraction is _much_ appreciated.”

“Ooh, whatcha got for us kitty-cat?” Yang grinned.

Blake hummed playfully, “Nothing special. Just a little notebook.”

“Oh?”

“Filled with all of Junior’s finances and contacts,” Blake smirked.

“Nice!” Yang whooped, “Your ninja powers are _so_ much less annoying when you’re using them on other people!”

Blake simply smiled.

“Well, now that we’ve got that done, you have anything you want to do? We’ve got time to kill until the fight tonight.”

Blake paused, “…Wait. Are youfighting tonight?”

“Uh…Yes?” Yang rubbed her neck sheepishly.

Blake folded her arms, “Is that a good idea?”

“I actually used to be pretty popular,” Yang replied, “Junior’s going to get the word out that I’m back in town, and that will draw a big crowd. I figured you could scope out the crowd—he’s got high profile guests sometimes.”

Blake chewed her lips, “Are you sure it’s a good idea to draw attention to yourself, considering our situation?”

“Oh! Oh no, don’t worry about that. I have a fighter name, ‘Blondie’,” Yang said, “I wear a mask and tie my hair up too—I didn’t want Ruby finding out.”

Blake sighed, “Well, if you’re going to do this, I might as well be there for backup.”

Yang grinned and slung an arm around Blake, “I knew I could count on you! Now, where to, Blakey?”

“I could use a drink,” Blake answered, “But I’d also like to check out if there’s a Faunus district—see if I can find anyone.”

“Mmm. I don’t know about any Faunus-specific areas,” Yang replied, “The people here aren’t as bad as they are in the East—I mean, there’s still a bunch of racists, but it’s usually focused on elves and gnomes around here.”

“That’s…interesting. Are Weiss and Ruby going to be okay?”

“If Ruby was alone, I’d be worried. Since Weiss is there I’m more worried for whoever crosses their path,” Yang chuckled, “But yeah, I know where the Fey districts are if you want to check ‘em out.”

“I thought humans usually liked gnomes and elves,” Blake said, “At least, in my experience, humans find them less ‘foreign’ than Faunus.”

“Ah, yeah. That’s true in most places, but…well. Long story short: Humans kicked the Fey off this land, so now life sucks for them.”

Blake frowned.

“Yeah. It’s worse in the city—this is where all the asshole nobles are, but there’s some of that attitude in the country too. Ruby used to always keep her hood up so people wouldn’t see her ears.”

“That’s…Why did you stay here then?”

Yang smiled wistfully, “Our parents all met here. Not here, specifically, but they fell in love during their travels in Seldwyn. I thought Ruby would like being able to connect with them that way. The folks in Patch were alright too—if someone gave us trouble, they were probably also just an asshole in general.”

“That’s rather sweet,” Blake said, “My clan has lived on our lands for generations, so I can understand that connection.”

“Yeah?” Yang hesitated before continuing, “You know, you don’t really talk about yourself much.”

Blake continued walking quietly.

“It’s okay,” Yang continued, “Just wanted to say that I’m a good listener—even though I’ve only got two ears.”

Blake snorted.

* * *

Their conversation lightened as they approached the Fey district. Blake noticed the buildings become less ornate, stone changing to wood. They arrived at a small plaza filled with a mix of gnomes, elves, and the occasional Faunus. Blake was pretty sure some of the small animals roaming around were children playing in their beast forms as well.

“Ruby and I usually come here after she’s finished up her sales. The folk here are pleasant—even to humans.”

Blake nodded, “So, feel up to buying your favorite ninja a drink?”

Yang smiled widely, “Only the finest of beverages for you, kitty-cat.”

“If you get me milk, I’m leaving.”

* * *

Yang dragged Blake into a small tavern full of delicious scents. Yang waved at the tavern keep, an older Elven woman, who smiled and gestured at an open table. Yang rubbed her hands together after sitting.

“I know we just ate, but I’m probably going to grab a bite with our drinks—the food’s great. What do you want to drink?”

Blake rested her chin in her hand, “Surprise me.”

Yang waved the innkeeper over, “Hello! A bottle of Moondrop mead for the two of us, please.”

“Anything to eat?”

“Ooh!…Taece if you have some,” Yang smiled at Blake, “And a cheese pot with bread too, please.”

“You want the taece now or packed up for later?”

Yang looked at Blake again, “How about both?”

The woman raised her eyebrow slightly until Yang paid upfront—with a generous tip. She accepted the coin and hurried off to fetch their food.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” Yang grinned.

“That is the same grin you give Ruby before she ends up in a headlock. I don’t trust it.”

Yang only responded by widening her grin. Blake furrowed her brow, but her concentration was broken when the woman exited the kitchen with a bowl of…something that smelled _great_. Blake’s ears perked up when the bowl was set at their table.

“ _Fishies_.”

Yang slapped a hand over her own mouth to stifle her laughter. She’d never seen Blake so focused—even with the dried fish she’d given her. Blake reached out for a piece before catching herself.

She looked up at Yang, “Um. Can I—”

“I got it just for you, Blakey! It’s all yours.”

Blake’s eyes lit up as her eyes darted between the bowl of fish snacks and Yang’s wide grin. She helped herself to a piece—it was smoky, crunchy, and _definitely_ fishy. The dried fish Yang had given her before was closer to jerky—tasty, but rather chewy and tough. These fish were small—about the size of a finger—and crunched pleasantly in her mouth.

These were the perfect mix of fish, salt, and spice.

“I guess I made the right call to get some to bring home.”

Blake whipped her head up at Yang, “Please tell me you can get this outside the city.”

Yang hummed, “It’s not local to Fecunir, specifically. It’s a traditional Elven food from around here—I don’t think the frost elves make this, but the wood elves from here and Munwind use them as trail rations.”

Blakes ears flattened, “Is it hard to get in Patch?”

“It might be easier, actually. Taece is made from river fish—the jerky from before comes from the coast—and Patch is pretty close to where the remaining wood elf tribes were pushed to. That’s part of the reason the humans in Patch aren’t so bad to elves—they’re simple folk who’d rather make peace with their neighbors.”

Yang’s answer was punctuated by the arrival of the rest of their meal: a large bottle with two cups, a warm pot of melted cheese, and a plate of toasted bread. Yang thanked the bar maid and turned back to Blake.

“As promised, the finest mead for you!” Yang uncorked the bottle and poured each of them a generous measure, “It’s a little strong, but also _delicious._ ”

Yang raised her cup and the two made a small toast—”We’re not dead yet!” “That’s a little morbid, Yang.”

Blake sipped from her cup. The mead was sweet, but not cloying, and had a pleasant floral aftertaste. It was a bit strong, but it warmed her belly pleasantly.

“Good?”

Blake smiled, “I was expecting something more…fiery from you, to be honest. But yes, it’s quite tasty.”

“I said I was getting you the finest, not my favorite,” Yang replied, “Though I do like this stuff, and it seemed up your alley.”

“Oh? What does is the great Yang Xiao-Long’s drink of choice then.”

“Guess.”

Blake looked at Yang inquisitively. Yang was warm and energetic—something equally exciting would match well, or so Blake thought.

“Fire brandy?”

Yang laughed, “It would fit, wouldn’t it? But nope—I prefer tea.”

Blake tilted her head.

Yang waved her hand, “Uncle Qrow’s well…he’s always been Drunkle Qrow, if you get what I mean. I don’t mind having a drink with friends or a pint of ale at the end of a long day, but I usually stay away from anything hard.”

Blake shifted awkwardly, unsure how to respond. Yang noticed, “Don’t worry about it! I’ve never had a drinking problem—I’m just careful anyways. Drinking a lot wouldn’t mix well with my temper too.”

“If you’re not a big drinker, how’d you know about this?”

“Ruby loves Moondrop mead. It reminds her of when she was a kid.”

Blake’s eyes widened.

“Not like that!” Yang laughed, “It's called Moondrop mead because of the flowers they add to the honey. Mom used to make her own Moondrop honey, and she’d have to hide it or Ruby would end up eating the whole jar.”

“But since she’s all grown up now she just drinks all your mead?”

“Hahaha! She wishes! She’s a good total lightweight and she knows it—just a half a cup is enough to put her to sleep.”

Ruby was rather small compared to Yang. Not as tiny as Weiss, but Blake is quite sure she’s met children larger than her, so that's not saying much.

“Has Ruby always been on the short side?”

“Eh. It might just be Mom’s genes. Dad was pretty average, but Ma was pretty tall—especially if you put her next to Mom.”

Blake's brain had to parse Yang’s words a few times. She’d just accepted that Ruby and Yang were sisters when they'd introduced themselves, but it never clicked that Ruby’s half-elven heritage meant that they were only half-siblings at most.

Not that it mattered to Blake—there were plenty of blood siblings who didn't even have half the relationship these two had.

It seemed Blake had taken too long to respond, so Yang continued, “Ruby and I grew up with both our birth mothers and our dad raising us. It was always Ma, Mom, and Dad—we didn't really notice it was a unique thing until…after.”

“Oh,” Blake said, “I didn't mean to bring up bad memories.”

“No, it's fine. I mean, it's not, but I've never really been able to share stories about my parents with anyone. Uncle Qrow would get too sad, and Ruby was so young—what little she remembers is mostly the bad stuff.”

Blake put her hand on top of Yang’s, “I’d love to hear them if you’d like to share. And I’m sure Weiss would too—especially if you've got anything embarrassing for Ruby.”

Yang laughed at her last statement, “Oh man, baby Ruby would've driven Weiss _nuts_.”

Blake gestured for Yang to continue.

“You know how sometimes Ruby does crazy things and expects everyone to understand?”

Blake nodded.

“Imagine that, except with a toddler. ‘Ma, I made boom boom.’ takes on a whole new meaning.”

Yang continued entertaining Blake with stories about her childhood, descriptions of her parents, and some of her more amusing travels. Blake continued snacking on her fish—she denied stealing bread or cheese from Yang—and sipping her mead.

The two left the tavern in good spirits—especially since Blake had a five-pound bag of taece and a few bottles of Moondrop mead to take home.

“And we kept wondering where Ruby was hiding everything—our parents searched everywhere at least twice! Ma ended up just spying on Ruby and saw her pulling cookies out of a bag. Ruby made her first Bag of Holding to hide cookies!”

Blake laughed with Yang. They were walking through the Fey district, swapping stories and browsing the shops. There were a fair amount of Faunus around as well—Yang had mentioned that even if they weren't treated as badly as the Fey, they generally weren't treated like humans either.

They reached a block where there were more Faunus around. Blake could smell traditional foods and see wares being sold on the street as well. If she and Yang weren't so full, she'd probably drag Yang to a few stalls.

Yang watched children playing in the streets—some Faunus shifting into their beast forms.

“Can you do that too?”

“Yeah, but I don't use it often.”

“Oh, neat. Could I see it some time?…Is that weird to ask?”

“I could spar in my other form and scratch you for every time you mention my ‘claws’.”

“Oof, pass. Fighting you is already hard enough without any extra pointy bits.”

Blake smirked.

“ _Blake_? Blake, is that you?” a voice called out, “I thought I'd never see you again!”

Blake froze and turned around slowly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *jazz hands*
> 
> Blake's stealth scene was heavily inspired by Metal Gear Solid V. I played the whole game nonlethal (besides the tutorial), and I **loved** just messing around in enemy bases. However, sometimes the patrols were just super oblivious and I'd have to chuck rocks every five feet to get them to follow the sound. 
> 
> The twins were rather level headed here, but if you play MSGV, and cause a bunch of mayhem without being spotted, the patrols get SUPER paranoid. Like "shooting at anything that moves" paranoid. It's great.  
> Her initial sneak past Junior is most hilarious if you picture it happening Skyrim style—she literally just crab walks behind him and that stealth indicator stays SHUT  
> 
> 
> * * *
> 
> "Moondrop" is based on elderflowers. If you haven't tried elderflower liqueur, it's worth getting one of those mini taster bottles if you can! A little bit of St. Germain with apple juice is delicious!
> 
> "Taece" popped up during my "DnD elven foods" search, and from there I imagined it to be similar to a crunchy dried fish snack(tazukuri) you can find at Japanese markets.
> 
> The "cheese pot" is just fondue, but it's mixed with Elven wine for a unique taste. The tavern also has a "sweet cheese pot" where the cheese is mixed with honey and served berries and bread.
> 
> I want brie on toast now Q_Q


	15. Books and Brawls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake deeply regretted telling Ruby she’d keep Yang out of trouble. In hindsight, it was a terrible promise, but Blake could at least _try_ to keep Ruby’s sister alive. A well placed distraction in the crowd could give her enough cover to pull Yang out of the arena entirely. If she made it flashy enough, she could probably distract Junior's men as well.
> 
> Blake was sorely tempted to torch a vulgar drawing onto Junior's office—effective _and_ entertaining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 9/10/18] minor revisions
> 
> ...i have to actually write new content now s h o o t
> 
> * * *
> 
> Uh…oops?  
> Have 10k words in response to my tardiness!

Yang turned and saw Blake tackled by a moving blur. She readied her stance until she realized Blake was still standing—she was being hugged by a Faunus with large rabbit ears.

All the tension in Blake’s body melted as she warmly returned the embrace. Yang watched as the two rocked side to side, laughing.

“Velvet!” Blake stepped back, but left her hands on Velvet’s shoulders, “I thought you said you were going home!”

“I did,” Velvet spoke with a faint accent, “I still visit sometimes too. You know, the Chieftain and—”

“Velvet,” Blake’s voice sharpened, “You said you wouldn't—”

“I didn't say anything about you! Promise! They just…everyone misses you Blake. I missed you a lot too!”

Yang watched the rabbit faunus—Velvet?—pull Blake in for another hug. She silently apologized for every time she turned Ruby into a third wheel because this is _awkward_. Yang wasn't sure if she should introduce herself or slip away quietly so Blake could catch up with her _friend_ alone.

“I’m just glad you're still alive,” Velvet continued after separating, “After we split up I’d heard about the bounty on your head.”

“I’ve managed to keep a low profile—until recently at least. I’m just here for—oh!” Blake spun around to face a sheepish Yang, “This is Yang. We’re here to look for some information.”

Now unable to escape, Yang awkwardly waved at a Velvet and stuck her hand out, “Uh. Hi, I’m Yang. Nice to meet you?”

Velvet shook the offered hand, “I’m Velvet. Sorry, I didn't realize Blake was travelling with a companion—we're old friends.”

“That’s…nice. As Blake said, we’re here to scout out some info, so if you know the area well…?

Velvet looked at Blake, who subtly nodded, and faced Yang again, “Perhaps we can continue our conversation somewhere less…open? I know a place.”

Yang nodded dumb and followed Velvet. She glanced at Blake, who walked rigidly with her arms crossed. Blake kept her eyes trained firmly forward, and didn't acknowledge Yang’s stares—though Yang _knew_ she just have noticed them.

Yang wished she had just snuck away earlier—it was one thing for Blake to turn her down, and quite another to see the reason why walking in front of her. No wonder Blake was so tight lipped about her past—seems like she left her ex on awkward terms.

Yang was so distracted she nearly walked past the bar Velvet led them to, but Blake had given her a gentle tug on her cloak to get her attention. Yang finally managed to get a good look at Blake’s face, but she couldn't tell what was there—guilt? fear? regret?

Velvet ordered a round of drinks—a local specialty, she said—and sat them down at a corner booth. Yang was surprised when Blake chose to slide in next to her instead of with Velvet, but her hopes were dashed when she noticed Blake carrying a silent conversation with Velvet as they locked eyes.

Yang really needed to apologize to Ruby because she was pretty sure Ruby had dealt with worse from her, and this was _excruciatingly_ awkward.

Blake turned her face away from Velvet, seemingly frustrated with whatever she’d gotten from Velvet. She sighed and turned back with a huff.

“As Yang mentioned, we’re looking for information,” Blake said, “Specifically anything strange about magic users, though if there's been anything else odd lately that would be helpful too.”

“Ah, there's the Blake I know,” Velvet’s eyes twinkled with amusement as she turned to Yang, “Does she try to keep up that ‘cool and calm’ image with you too?”

Blake scowled as Yang replied, “It’s been more like a ‘ninja’ sort of thing, but _do_ elaborate.”

“Oh, Blake’s always been like that since we were kids,” Velvet chuckled, “She—”

“Velvet.” Blake’s voice was soft, but firm as she gave Velvet a level stare.

“Oh, alright then,” Velvet huffed, “I thought we could wait until after drinks to talk business. I wanted to get _at least_ one embarrassing story out first.”

Blake simply frowned in response, which was mirrored by Velvet. Yang looked between the two, extremely lost. 

“Round of oakbrew,” an older dog faunus dropped their drinks off and Velvet gave her coin before the others could pull their purses out.

Velvet watched Blake eye the beverage with suspicion, “Oh come on, I still remember how much of a lightweight you are. This stuff is strong, but you’ll be fine with just a glass.”

Yang had no qualms tasting her drink. The amber liquid smelled sweet and buttery, though it had a mild burn on the way down. While it wasn’t as smooth as the mead from earlier, it was certainly sippable—she wouldn’t mind taking a bottle home actually.

Blake watched Velvet and Yang sip at their drinks before trying some herself. She swallowed with a grimace before pushing her glass over towards Yang.

“We’ve had drinks,” Blake deadpanned, “You’ve also got awful taste.”

“It’s not that bad Blakey! Trust me, I’ve had _much_ worse,” Yang replied, “More for me!”

Blake sighed and shook her head. Velvet giggled at the two before responding.

“You two are adorable. I’m so glad you aren’t on your own Blake! Especially since the Fang stepped up their aggression,” Velvet added the next part in a low voice, “I guess the downside of all the remotely sane people jumping ship or being executed means there’s only the extremists left in there.”

Blake frowned, “Have they been active nearby?”

“Not recently, no—otherwise I wouldn’t be here,” Velvet replied, “I haven’t heard anything strange beyond that though. Not a surprise, since magic users tend to keep things quiet—even if something strange was going on, they don’t want to spark another Culling.”

Yang and Blake grimaced at that.

“Are there enough people to support that?” Yang asked, “I didn’t think the kingdom would ever consider a Culling.”

“Well, thankfully the University here has been rather good about maintaining its image—no shady incidents to turn the populace on them,” Velvet replied, “But from what I can tell, there’s a bit of paranoia after what happened in Munwind.”

“You mean the land wars?”

“Sort of,” Velvet replied, “I don’t know much, but from what Coco tells me, there’s just a lot of tension in general up there—makes sense considering the history.”

“Coco?” Blake asked.

Velvet flushed, “Ah. Well, she’s the reason I’m down here now. She’s a merchant—we met when her company was trying to establish trade with the clan, and…”

Yang internally froze, she did _not_ have the capacity to comfort Blake over her ex getting a new lover.

“Damn it,” Blake huffed, “I owe Ilia 10 gold now.”

That wasn’t the response Yang was expecting.

Velvet frowned, “What were you betting on? She never mentioned anything.”

“That’s because we decided it was against the rules,” Blake crossed her arms, “She bet that you were more queer than a flying unicorn, and I bet that you weren’t.”

“Well…” Velvet looked away from Blake, “She’s not here to collect on that, if you were going to ask.”

Blake’s face went through a variety of expressions before settling on a disappointed frown, “I was hoping she…Do you know if she managed to get out?”

Velvet shook her head somberly and Blake seemed to shrink in on herself. The two slipped into a contemplative silence as Yang fidgeted awkwardly on the side.

“So…about Blake as a kid—”

“Honeybun!” a tall figure with dark glasses strode over to the table, “Having a date without me?”

The woman slid in smoothly beside Velvet and draped her arm around the flushed faunus. Velvet yelped as a hand slid down her waist—did she just get her ass pinched?—and pouted at the newcomer.

“Coco! I told you not to—” Velvet realized they had company, “Blake, Yang. This is my girlfriend, Coco. She’s a mouthy lech, so you can mostly ignore her.”

Coco protested in the background as Blake smirked, “Nice to meet you, Coco. Have Velvet’s parents already gone through all her embarrassing childhood stories?”

Velvet’s eyes widened as Coco faced Blake, “I like this one, Velvs. Did you hide her somewhere when I came to Menagerie?”

Blake’s smirk faltered slightly. Thankfully, Velvet was equally invested in Coco leaving the conversation and she playfully slapped at Coco’s shoulder.

“Quiet, you! Blake, I’m so happy to see that you’re well. Don’t be a stranger,” Velvet stood and tried to shove Coco towards the door, “It was nice meeting you too, Yang. I’m going to wrangle some common courtesy into this one, but I’ll be seeing you two around!”

“Let’s get brunch! Just ask for the Adels and you’ll find us!” Coco shouted at the pair as Velvet tossed her over a shoulder, “I want to hear those tales, Blake!”

Yang and Blake stared blankly at the departing duo. At least their own group seemed a little more normal now. Yang glanced at Blake again, who avoided eye contact.

Well, Yang wasn’t know for being shy.

“Uh, so was that your ex?”

“…what?” Blake whirled around to face Yang, “Why? What made—no!”

“I’m hearing no, but I’m also detecting a lot of defensiveness,” Yang replied before raising her hands, “I’m not…this isn’t some weird jealousy thing, I just want to know if you’re okay.”

Blake’s glare fell. Of course Yang was just trying to be considerate, and Blake’s first response was to _bite her head off_. She groaned and put her head on the—probably gross—table.

“It’s not like that. Velvet and I are childhood friends— _just_ friends,” Blake mumbled, “I never saw her like that—I got flustered because…well, a lot of reasons.”

“Yeah?” Yang leaned onto the—definitely gross—table to look into Blake’s eyes.

“…yeah.”

There was a comfortable silence as Blake closed her eyes.

“I’m going to need my glass back,” Blake said as she sat up, “If you want to hear more, I mean.”

“Only if you want to share,” Yang sat up and leaned her face against a palm, “Like I said, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

Blake’s expression became unreadable and she simply grasped the glass she had set aside earlier. She downed the full cup in one gulp, and snatched Velvet’s half-full glass across the table.

“Whoa! Whoa! Slow down!” Yang sat up straight, “We still have things to take care of later tonight!”

Blake frowned. Responsibility _sucked_.

“I’ll sip this one,” she took a sip to demonstrate, “I don’t really know where to start.”

“You could copy Ruby and start somewhere in the middle and veer so off-course you somehow manage to cover the entire story anyways,” Yang joked.

Blake snorted, “I’m not sure my brain can pull that off. How about you just ask what you want to know, and I’ll tell you—only if I want to.” She added the last bit at Yang’s concerned glance.

“That works too. Uh, so there’s no romantic stuff between you and Velvet?”

“Nope. Never. Nothing one-sided on my part, and I can only assume for her as well.”

Yang felt both relieved and irritated with herself. 

“That’s…good? Why did seeing her make you so jumpy?—pun not intended.”

Blake huffed at the poor wordplay, but answered anyways, “She’s my _childhood_ friend.”

“So?” Yang stared at her blankly, “I don’t see how that’s a problem?”

“It’s just…I haven’t been home in a really long time and there’s a lot of stuff keeping me from that and I’d _really_ rather not drag all of you into my stupid drama,” Blake rested her head in her hands as she spoke, “She was also with me when I was… _we_ were in the Fang.”

“That…makes a little more sense? But both of you are out of the Fang now, right?”

“Yeah. We left together, and split up when she said she wanted to go home. I made her promise not to tell my parents anything about me—I’m assuming she just lied and said she didn’t know where I was.

“Seeing her just…I’m happy that she’s doing well, but seeing her reminds me of all the mistakes I’ve made. The people I’ve hurt. The ones I’ve left behind…” Blake’s voice trailed off.

Yang gently wrapped an arm around Blake, “Hey. What was it you told me before? All you can do is your best, and at the time that’s what you thought you were doing, right?”

“It’s not—!” Blake shook in Yang’s embrace, “I should have known better! I shouldn’t have…I threw away all the good things in my life and ended up following a _monster_! I can’t—there’s not a place for me there any more.”

Yang continued holding Blake gently, “Whatever decisions you made—whatever you’ve done—they’re not final. You can’t change the past, but you can change what you’re doing going forward—and I can tell you’re already changing, Blake.”

Blake burrowed her face into Yang’s shoulder.

“I think…I think you’re not going home to punish yourself,” Yang continued, “Because you think you deserve to be punished. But you don’t, Blake, and you’re punishing more than yourself—Velvet made it seem like your home misses you.”

Blake looked up at Yang with teary eyes, “They don’t miss _me_ , they miss the Blake that left. I’m…they’ll be disappointed. It’s better that I stay away than ruin their memories.”

“I can’t promise you that's not true, but I can tell you that you're always welcome with us. I wasn't happy when I found out about your past, y’know, but I figured if you were a shit bag you'd still be with them. Your folks might see it the same way.”

“I don't think…is it weird that I’m kind of happy we got tied up in this mess since it brought me to you three?”

“A bit. It’s also a little sweet, but yeah, hopefully in another universe we all met under normal circumstances.”

“Thank you, Yang.”

“I didn't do anything?”

“You've done _everything_. Before we met, I was so—I don't even know. Lost? I was alive, but not living. I feel differently now.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

…

“Blake?”

“Mm?”

“Who’s…Is there—” Yang struggled to find the right words, “There was someone else, right? Someone still with the Fang?”

Blake downed the rest of Velvet’s glass, “Yes.”

* * *

Yang often told Ruby that her magic made no sense and it gave her a headache just to think about it too hard. 

She could empathize with that sentiment now, as she watched Professor Oobleck simultaneously lecture, write on the chalkboard behind him, and drink from his mug without missing a beat. His class, however, appeared to have acclimated to their instructor’s behavior, and Ruby could see a few failing to stay awake in the back of the lecture hall. Ruby was struggling to remain alert as well—she had slumped onto her arms earlier, but was jolted awake by a stern scolding in her head.

Ruby needed to find a way to block that—not just to escape Weiss’ nagging, but because it could come in handy if they met someone else with telepathy. Perhaps an enchanted helmet?

As Ruby’s mind drifted to new designs and projects, Weiss sat with a notebook on her desk. She was rapidly taking notes without looking, an impressive feat considering how well she reproduced the Professor’s diagrams. Weiss wasn't even sure if anything she wrote was even useful, but it felt _wrong_ to sit in a lecture and not take notes. Most people assumed her family bought her way into Skolaris, or that she was simply ‘naturally gifted’. While the latter was true, to an extent, Weiss had clawed her way to the top of her class through hard work.

When Weiss entered the Academy, she was pressured into perfection by her father—nothing new, she just needed to satisfy his ego in a different context. However, once she realized she wanted _nothing_ to do with her father or his money, she began studying for herself—to reclaim her family name.

_“—most records of the Infernal War are kept in Stutverk, guarded by the Archivists, an elite regiment of Keepers. However, most universities—including ours—maintain facsimiles of these accounts, though dangerous rituals and spells are redacted in these copies.”_

Weiss saw Ruby slump onto her desk again, and had to resist the temptation to ruffle her hair with her free hand. Perhaps it could be an apology for her rudeness earlier—there wasn't really anything wrong with Ruby resting until this lecture was over. In fact, Ruby only came into the lecture hall so Weiss wouldn't be alone, since they could have just waited outside or by Professor Oobleck’s office. Weiss’ willpower crumbled when Ruby shifted so Weiss could see her dozing face—she looked so peaceful. Weiss ran her fingers through Ruby’s messy hair, pushing some behind her ear. She continued moving her hand until she settled on rubbing soothing circles on Ruby’s back, and was rewarded with pleased humming.

_“—and we will revisit the first Breach and its progenitors, the Cabal, next week! Do remember that your papers on the Maidens and their relation to the the Harbingers will be due then as well!”_

Weiss was startled by Ruby’s head popping up, “Oh. Is it over now?”

The students in front of them were shuffling their papers, and some were already walking out the door. Most seemed eager to leave, and so the professor was left alone at the front. Weiss scoffed at the students here—not a _single_ one stayed to speak with the professor; what a waste of potential. She quickly walked to the front to introduce herself.

“Master Oobleck,” Weiss began, “Your lecture was quite enjoyable. I am Professor Schnee, of Skolaris Academy, and if you have time to spare I would very much appreciate the chance to discuss a few matters related to your expertise.”

“Hello! Indeed, the Infernal War was a most atrocious time!” Oobleck replied, “Fortunately, I was just about to start my office hours! If you would accompany me there, I would be more than happy to share my knowledge!”

“Wonderful, do you need any assistance with your materials?”

Before he could reply, his books neatly stacked themselves together against his bag.

“Thank you, but—ah! You are a psion? Most intriguing! The University has not branched into that particular field yet—it’s rare to find someone with such talent with interested in scholarship!”

The two walked towards the exit, with Weiss gesturing to Ruby on their way out, “This is my companion, Ruby. If you do not mind, I would like for her to join us.”

“Splendid! The more the merrier!”

The trio made their way across campus—unaccosted, thankfully—to a towering structure at the center. Inside, there was a lobby with several teleportation sigils lined along the far wall. Oobleck led the pair towards one of the smaller ones, and gestured for them to step forward. Once all three of them had settled within the sigil borders, he spoke a short incantation, and they were whisked to a different room.

He led them down a hallway—each door was labeled with different names—to his office. He waved his hand in front of the door to unlock it, then waved the women inside.

“Please! Do make yourselves comfortable! Would you like anything to drink? Coffee? Tea?”

The office was rather roomy. Oobleck’s desk had a few stacks of paper to one side, and all the walls were lined with full bookshelves. He absentmindedly flicked his fingers, and the plain chairs in front of his desk transformed into cushioned armchairs.

“Tea would be lovely, thank you,” Weiss replied, “Your office is quite charming.”

Ruby awkwardly stood until she saw Weiss sit in an armchair. Once the two were seated, Oobleck turned to set a tray on his desk. The tray had a teapot, a pair of mugs, and a small dish of cookies. Ruby looked torn between her desire for sweets and her awkwardness with the situation.

Fortunately, Weiss noticed her fidgeting and simply floated a cookie to bump into her mouth. She thanked the professor after he poured each of them tea, and then floated Ruby’s cup over to her before taking her own.

“Your hospitality is appreciated, Master Oobleck. My companion and I are researching an arcane organization that goes by ‘Fall’. As far is we can tell, they are a group of fire-oriented mages with malicious intent.”

Oobleck sipped his coffee slowly, then set his mug on his desk, “I see. Tell me, do you know the history of the first Culling?”

“Vaguely. The Academy does not focus much on magical history, and I’m quite sure that whatever is taught is heavily biased against mundanes,” Weiss folded her arms, “As far as they’re concerned, the first Culling was simply genocide against arcane users.”

“That is not untrue. Indeed, all Cullings are horrific, atrocious events. However, the story of the first is not quite so simple,” Oobleck paused to adjust his glasses, “The first Culling was not named such until well after the fact, and was only used in reference towards to massacres that occurred near the end.”

Ruby was lost, but nodded along anyways. 

“As with most genocides, the first Culling was motivated by fear, which bred hate. Shortly after the Infernal War, a select group of mages were hunted down for their involvement with opening the Abyssal Gate. This group—they called themselves the Infernal Cabal—was held responsible for instigating the war between planes when they attempted to summon their Queen.

“Unfortunately, people interpreted this hunt as a death warrant for _all_ magic users—since anyone powerful enough could potentially attempt to open the gate once more. After most of the the Cabal leaders were found and imprisoned or executed, the Kingdoms continued to fear magic users, and used the hunt for the Cabal as an excuse to slaughter mages.”

“I…see,” Weiss replied, “However, subsequent Cullings make no reference to this ‘Cabal’.”

“True! As I mentioned previously, the first Culling was named such well after the fact, and the term became synonymous with mage hunting. The history behind the first is often unmentioned, as most academies would prefer to not remind the public of mage involvement in the Infernal War.”

“Um…I’m sorry, uh, Professor—

“It’s _Master_ , I did _not_ spend five years on my thesis to be called _professor!_

Ruby eeped, “Sorry! Uh, _Master_ Oobleck, what exactly does all this have to do with ‘Fall’?”

“I’m glad you asked! As with most things, the connection between groups and ideas are not readily apparent until you are _very_ familiar with their histories. While most of the Infernal Cabal was found and executed, key figures escaped justice. Furthermore, certain figures who were executed would reappear—alive and quite well—around disasters and other sites of great tragedy.”

“They were Lichs?” Weiss asked.

“No. They are…it is believed they are something beyond that. In any case, some scholars believe the Cabal began assuming different names after the second Culling, though other would argue that these are separate groups entirely—we aren’t certain. All groups though to be associated with the Cabal had a few things in common, however.”

“Fire?” Ruby asked.

“Yes, to an extent. The Cabal associated themselves with a demon Queen who granted them mastery over flame, and it is their affinity of choice. They have also kept a common theme, or prophecy they pass down to their acolytes: ‘When the last ashes of the weak Fall, the strong may Rise with the eternal flame’.”

“Uh…that’s a bit of a long shot, pro—Master Oobleck,” Ruby said, “Not that I don’t appreciate the history lesson or anything! I just…I don’t know how you went from ‘magic users’ and ‘Fall’ to ‘ancient evil mages’.”

Weiss cringed at Ruby’s lack of tact, though she silently agreed.

“Well, Miss Rose, I’m afraid I can’t quite share why I believe your group and this one are the same,” Oobleck answered, “Though I can assure you that I am confident in my assumptions.”

Weiss’ eyes narrowed, “I can appreciate keeping research to yourself until you can formally publish your findings, however, I can assure you that Ruby and I have no interest in stealing your work.”

“Yes. I have no fear of that,” Oobleck paused before continuing, “However, I am currently involved in certain… _sensitive_ matters that cannot be disclosed. Do you have any other questions for me, Professor Schnee? Miss Rose?”

“No, that will be all. Thank you for your ti—”

“How do you know my name?”

Weiss and Oobleck both turned to look at Ruby.

“I introduced you earlier, Ruby,” Weiss spoke slowly, “When we were leaving—

“No, how does he know my _full_ name? You just called me ‘Ruby’ earlier,” Ruby crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.

“I—,” Weiss paused to think, “That is correct. I would also like to know how you know my associate’s full name.”

Oobleck sipped his coffee calmly as his guests eyed him warily. Ruby tensed in her seat, and Weiss began subtly looking for exits from the room.

“My apologies, I mean no deceit,” Oobleck replied, “Your mother was simply a colleague of mine, Miss Rose. You look just like her, and your eyes are unique to her family line.”

Weiss relaxed, but Ruby remained tense.

“You…you knew Mom? I…How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

Oobleck set his mug down and looked at Ruby sadly, “Your parents were all colleagues of mine, however they retired to raise you and your sister. I was still completing my Master’s thesis when you were a child, and since I was exploring different planes, I did not receive news of their passing until well after your Uncle had taken you under his care.”

Ruby sat quietly to process the information.

“Please excuse my forwardness, but if you were close with Ruby’s parents, it would be best for you to disclose any information you know. We are not here on an academic pursuit—we believe this group is targeting us,” Weiss said, “Though if this group is as large as you’re implying, it may have simply been coincidence that we ran into them twice.”

Oobleck shook his head, “I’m afraid I still cannot share anything else with you. If you are indeed being targeted, it may simply put you further in harm’s way. However, while the Cabal is an ancient group, their reach has waxed and waned over time. They have not asserted their presence in almost a century.”

Oobleck’s voice was firm, and Weiss could see she wouldn’t be getting anything further from him, “Thank you, Master Oobleck. We appreciate the time you spent to discuss this with us. If you change your mind, we will be remaining in the capital for a few more days.”

“I’m quite sorry. Good day to you both,” Oobleck replied, “The sigil we arrived at will take you back to the lobby.”

Weiss nodded and pulled a dazed Ruby out of the office with her. They made their way to the sigil, and exited the tower lobby before Ruby seemed to return to herself.

“Weiss.”

She paused and turned around, “Yes, Ruby?”

“Can we take a break?” Ruby looked lost, and a little overwhelmed.

Weiss stepped towards her and placed her hand on one shoulder, “Of course. Why don’t you show me your favorite place to eat around here?”

The mention of food seemed to perk Ruby up, “Oh! Yeah, I know a place!”

Ruby took Weiss by the hand and ran off.

* * *

Yang watched silently as Blake spun her—now empty—glass. The Faunus eventually stopped with a huff and looked towards Yang once more.

“Her name was Ilia.”

Yang nodded, and remained silent. 

“She…we grew up together. Our parents knew each other, so we were friends before we could even speak—we spent a lot of time together in our animal forms,” Blake continued, “Until I left the Fang, I don't think either of us had ever really been separated.”

Yang squeezed the arm she had around Blake, which seemed to bolster the teary woman.

“We left the clan together to join the Fang. Her cousin, Adam, recruited us. Once we were away from our families—everything we’d ever known—we became closer,” Blake laughed dryly, “We were so young and _stupid_. Two girls, fighting to change the world, what could be more romantic?”

Yang’s chest twinged in sympathy, all traces of jealousy abandoned in favor of comforting Blake.

“She was so headstrong. Our first time out of Menagerie, she started a bar fight after knocking out some teeth—she didn't take kindly to being called a lizard,” Blake sighed, “Maybe she got too hooked on the fighting. When Velvet and I left, she didn't come with us. I haven't heard from her since. I don’t even know if she’s _alive_.”

Blake finally broke down then, muffling her sobs against Yang's shoulder. Yang pulled her closer and gently rubbed her back. The two remained entwined until Blake’s cries subsided.

Blake rubbed her eyes and sat up, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Hey,” Yang cut off her apology, “Don't worry about it. It's not like I’ve never blubbered all over you either.”

Blake gave a watery chuckle, “That's true.”

“Besides, now we’re officially buds!”

Blake looked up at Yang, confused.

“We’ve both heard each other's tragic pasts,” Yang joked, “Now we’re stuck together. No take backs!”

Blake snorted, “Does that mean I get to split Ruby’s inheritance if you die during your cage fight?”

“Blake!” Yang dramatically put a hand over her heart, “I can't believe you would think that!”

Blake laughed. 

“Have ye such little faith in my skills?”

“Considering how often I had you kissing the ground…”

“Fine!” Yang crossed her arms and pouted, “I don't have any money anyways! Ruby does all the money stuff.”

“Oh, I see. So I should be talking to her then,” Blake deadpanned and pretended to get up.

Yang laughed, “Have fun getting tossed around by Weiss!”

Blake settled back into her spot and grumbled. 

“Speaking of money and cage fights,” Yang continued, “We should get going soon. If you want to make some cash, you could place your bet on me.” Yang began flexing and posing to show off her physique. 

“No thanks, I’d hate to see good coin go to waste.”

“Hey!”

Blake vanished, but Yang could hear her taunting laughter. She downed the rest of her oakbrew and took off towards Junior’s tavern.

* * *

“Ta-dah!” Ruby spread her arms and gestured at the building in front of her with jazz hands.

Weiss looked at the building, then at Ruby, and at the building once more before speaking, “I’m not sure exactly what you’re showing me, Ruby.”

“It’s the best place to eat in town!” Ruby started hopping in place, “C’mon let’s go inside!”

Ruby dragged her indignant friend along by the hand. She waved at the elderly woman behind the bar counter, and then sat the two of them at a booth.

“Do you trust me?”

Weiss startled at the sudden inquiry. Trust was not something she gave out lightly—between her family and her peers at Skolaris, it was second nature for her to be suspicious. 

Why would Ruby ask this? Did Ruby save Weiss just to call in a favor now? Ruby had been so genuine and kind to Weiss—though she had been spurned by others who had seemed genuine and kind, at first.

Weiss was used to people using her. People always left once they either had what the came for, or realized Weiss would not provide what they wanted. She traded two-faced suitors for her peers at Skolaris, but they were all the same in the end. Weiss was used to this. It didn't hurt her anymore.

However, her stomach felt heavy at the thought of Ruby—and Yang and Blake—using and leaving her.

“Weiss? Are you okay?” Ruby waved a hand in front of Weiss, frowning with concern, “I just wanted to know if you trust me to order lunch for you.”

“Oh. Yes, of course.”

Weiss internally facepalmed.

Her life had been turned upside down the past few days, but in the best way possible. Ruby was different from anyone she'd ever met, though Weiss couldn't discern why. Whatever it was, it was a good difference, and she at least trusted Ruby to be honest with her.

Weiss’ attention snapped back to the tavern when she heard Ruby and the tavernkeep converse in a language she didn't understand. It sounded _close_ to Elven, but she couldn't find meaning in the words. The language was more lyrical than Elven as well—it was rather pleasant to listen to despite her lack of comprehension.

Ruby finished speaking and turned back to Weiss when the tavernkeep left, “Shouldn't be too long. We’re sort of in between lunch and dinner time right now.”

Had they really spent that much time already? Weiss checked her internal clock—it was indeed late afternoon already.

“I hadn't realized it was already so late,” Weiss replied, “I'm not sure how productive our day was.”

“What do you mean?”

“The only real lead we have is what Master Oobleck told us, but I don’t have much faith in his tale. I don't know anything that would directly contradict what he’s said, but it all seems a little far fetched.”

Ruby frowned, “Yang’s not here, but there’s still no work talk at the table!”

Weiss pinched her brow and huffed, “Well _excuse_ me for trying to stay productive.”

“Okay, you’re excused!” Ruby shot Weiss a dopey grin, “Everyone makes mistakes.”

Weiss’ snarky reply was cut short as their server returned and placed two cups on their table, “Food’ll be out in just a second dear.”

Ruby chirped back in an unfamiliar language and the tavernkeep smiled at her before leaving.

Weiss was torn between her annoyance and curiosity—curiosity won, “I’m not familiar with that language, what is it?”

“You don’t speak Sylvan?” Ruby looked at Weiss in surprise, “It’s what Elves speak.”

“…no?” Weiss scrunched her brow, “ _This is Elven._ ”

Ruby stared blankly at Weiss, “What?”

“That was Elven!” Weiss huffed in frustration, “It’s the same everywhere I’ve been until now.”

Ruby hummed and put her hand to her chin, “Where are you from again?”

“Fraeja.”

“That’s uh…super far east right? Reaaaaally cold?”

“Correct on both counts.”

“Have you ever met a wood elf?”

“Pardon?”

“A wood elf,” Ruby waved her arms in an abstract gesture, “Like…elves. Who live in woods.”

Weiss stared at Ruby uncertainly, “…no?”

“Even your fancy schmancy Academy never told you about ‘em?”

“We learned about the Feywild, if that’s what you’re asking,” Weiss replied.

Ruby shook her head, “No, I know what that is, and it’s not what I meant. Do you know the local history?”

“I have a basic understanding. Seldwyn is centered on the Blessed Plains, which is why its economy is based on agriculture. The kingdom’s citizens are mostly human, however the land was originally populated by…elves and gnomes.”

“Yeah, and the elves from around here were wood elves. This used to be a huuuuuuuge forest, full of wildlife and stuff,” Ruby said, “But the local Fey lost bits and pieces of it at a time to the humans, until things became how they are now.”

“Well, that explains the behavior of that rude individual,” Weiss said, “So I’m assuming Sylvan is the language spoken by the local elf population? _Do you not understand standard Elven at all?_ ”

Ruby squinted Weiss when she shifted to Elven, “Okay, that _sorts of_ sound like Sylvan, if you were really sleepy and had a bad accent.”

The tavernkeep arrived with platters of food in tow. Weiss’ eyes widened at the different dishes—everything smelled _great_. 

“You look excited,” Ruby giggled, “Try a sip of your drink by the way.”

Weiss took a small sip of the clear liquid. It smelled like fresh herbs, and tasted sweet with a mildly spicy aftertaste. It was rather refreshing after being dragged halfway across the city.

“Good, right? It’s sweetwater,” Ruby said after taking a deep swig, “This place makes the best!”

“What’s in it?” Weiss could taste some mint and spice, but wasn’t sure exactly.

“Oh, everyone has their own recipe—it varies. The usual suspects are mint, ginger, and some kind of fruit,” Ruby took another sip, “I think they use limes here.”

“It’s quite refreshing. Perhaps I can experiment with some recipes when we go home.”

“Yeah! Ooh, we can pick up some strawberries while we’re here!” Ruby cheered, “Try the food too! I think you’ll like it.”

Weiss was actually a little intimidated by the variety of dishes in front of her. There was some sort of fried dish, roasted fowl, and a spicy smelling stew. She and Ruby had their own plates, so she put a little bit of each on her own to try. Ruby watched Weiss expectantly. Weiss was used to being under scrutiny, but never quite like this. 

Ruby broke into a wide smile after Weiss’ first bite, “So? How is it?”

“Calm down, I haven’t even tried everything yet!” Weiss finished chewing and swallowing before sampling each dish.

“I just wanna make sure I got it right,” Ruby pouted, “You look so happy when you’re eating food you like!”

Weiss blushed slightly—Ruby always caught her off guard with her consideration, “It’s all delicious Ruby—really.”

Ruby examined Weiss for signs of deceit, and cheered when she found none, “Yay! Okay, I’m going to dig in too!”

Weiss wasn’t lying to Ruby. Each of the dishes were quite tasty in their own way. The fried dish turned out to be some sort of savory vegetable fritters, and the roasted quail was stuffed with herbs and nuts. She was wary of the stew at first, but the spice wasn’t overpowering. She had to reach for her sweetwater a few times, but luckily the tavernkeep dropped off a large carafe when she noticed Weiss’ struggle.

“Oh man,” Ruby leaned into her chair and rubbed her belly, “That hit the spot.”

“Yes, it was quite delicious,” Weiss maintained her posture, but also patted her stomach, “I fear I may put on some weight while living with your household.”

Ruby giggled, “But it’d be worth it, right? Besides, if you’re really concerned, you can get Yang to help you work it off.”

Weiss imagined the sort of workouts Yang had to do to maintain her muscled figure and winced, “I…will consider that offer, though I fear going through one of Yang’s workouts would break me.”

“Nah, she’d make something special for you probably,” Ruby replied, “I don’t keep up with mine much, but sometimes I’ll do my routine while she does hers.”

“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to for me to at least learn how to defend myself without my abilities,” Weiss hummed.

“Yeah! Ooh, maybe I can make you something like Crescent Rose! Yang taught me how to fight a little bit with a quarterstaff, but Blake was _super_ good at it! Maybe she can teach both of us!”

“This is starting to sound like a group activity.”

Ruby’s jaw dropped, “That’s a great idea! Family sparring!”

Weiss sighed as Ruby whooped in her seat.

“That sounds like several accidents waiting to happen.”

“Well, we can just be caref—” Ruby’s demeanor dropped, “Darn it, Yang. We haven’t even been here a whole day!”

“Ruby?”

“We gotta go! Yang’s being hurt!” Ruby dropped a generous amount of coin on the table and snatched Weiss by the wrist once more.

* * *

Yang sauntered into Junior’s tavern with a wide grin, “Hello boys! Whose ass do I get to kick today?”

Blake shuffled in behind her with folded arms.

“Who’s she?” a grunt gestured at Blake.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” Yang’s grin widened even more.

The grunt looked towards Blake and jumped slightly when they met eyes, “Uh…who are you?”

Blake maintained an icy glare on the man, “Blake. 100 gold on Blondie.”

“Ah, uh. Bet’s aren’t quite open ye—Okay I’ll go get the boss!” the grunt scramble to get away from the pair when Yang matched Blake’s glare.

“Well. That was a thing,” Yang returned to her usual demeanor once the grunt was gone, “What happened to keeping your coin?”

“It’s an investment,” Blake smirked, “If you win, we split the profit. If you lose…well, let’s just say you’ll owe me a favor worth the coin.”

“Counter offer,” Yang smiled, “If I win, we’ll use the coin for a night on the town—you and me.”

Blake raised an eyebrow, “And if you lose?”

“I won’t,” Yang’s smile turned into a smirk, “So you can pick whatever favor you want, kitty cat, but it’s not happening.”

“Deal. If you lose, you have to always greet Weiss with a pick-up line for a week.”

Yang laughed as heavy footsteps approached the pair, “Blondie. How am I supposed to run a business if you keep scaring off my guys?”

“Maybe you should hire some gals then,” Yang winked, “I wouldn’t scare ‘em off”

Junior’s scowl deepened, “I’m not in the mood to deal with your shit. Are you here to fight or not?”

“Aw, Junior. You say the sweetest things!” Yang said, “I think you’re forgetting a little something though.”

Blake could see Junior twitch and readied herself for a fight, but relaxed when she saw him drop a small purse into Yang’s hand.

“Nice to see you remembering your manners, Junior,” Yang smiled and tossed the bag absentmindedly, “And my cut’s going to be—?”

“Fifty percent,” he mumbled.

Yang cleared her throat.

“Fifty! You get a half the purse, okay!?”

“Sheesh, someone’s a little wound up. Alright, let’s get moving.”

Yang and Blake followed Junior down to the underground arena, though this time the stairway was well lit. There was a small group already seated in the arena even though the fight wasn’t going to happen for another hour. 

“Alright, who’s up tonight?”

“We’ve got enough for four rounds—five if you want to take an extra quarter percent of the purse.”

Yang folded her arms, “That’s generous of you. What’s the catch?”

“You don’t get to find out who you’re fighting until you see ‘em. If you take the fifth round and lose, I get the whole purse.”

Yang narrowed her eyes at Junior, “Still the usual rules? No magic, no blades.”

Junior huffed and nodded, “The people pay to see a fistfight, and that’s what they’ll get.”

“Fine. I’ll take all five rounds.”

Junior grunted and walked towards his goons, barking instructions.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Blake murmured.

“I’ll be fine,” Yang said, “More rounds means more time for you to scope out the crowd, right?”

Blake glared at Yang, “It’s not worth you getting hurt over.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yang’s grin dropped into a solemn face, “Seriously, I’ll be fine. You just focus on your part.”

Yang’s reassurances didn’t do much for Blake’s discomfort. Yang was a capable fighter—she found out firsthand—but underground fights like these were always dirty, one way or another. Blake _highly_ doubted Junior completely enforced the “no magic” rule, unless it would be in his favor. It would be easy to notice a hidden blade once Yang was cut, but one slash could be enough to take Yang out, if placed correctly.

“Hey, Blakey,” Yang pulled a hood over the top of her head, “Look, I promise I’ll be okay. I’m going to go get changed for the fights. I’ll see you after I win!”

Blake watched Yang walk away, confused. There wasn’t anywhere to change besides Junior’s office—oh.

The small audience had swelled into a large crowd. Yang had already swept her hair through a hole in her hood to tie into a messy bun. The crowd cheered as Yang strutted down to the arena, whooping and waving. Once she reached the pit, she stripped her outer layers—much to the excitement of the audience—and tossed her clothes into a random goon’s face.

She winked at the scowling man, “If those go missing, you’re going to be round sox.”

“I hate my job,” the goon handed Yang two strips of cloth and walked out of the arena.

Yang inspected the cloth, then used the strips to wrap both her hands. She threw a few test punches—nothing suspicious. She started her usual pre-fight routine—just a few things to get her warm and limbered up.

Up in the stands, Blake finished placing her bet before turning to watch Yang. Her throat ran dry at the sight of Yang’s scantily clad form twisting and stretching—she swore Yang winked at her before bending over and giving a generous view of her—”assets”. 

At least she’d have a well distracted crowd to work with.

Blake shuffled through the crowd, casually picking pockets as she walked through. Most of the crowd seemed pretty average—regular townsfolk who considered _watching_ a fight to be wild excitement. Perhaps Junior’s special guests were seated elsewhere—judging by his ledger, he had a _lot_ of contacts.

She glanced towards his office. The lights weren't on, but there were a dozen grunts watching the area. Blake was good, but not _that_ good. Her scouting was interrupted by a booming voice. 

“Ladies, gentleman, and all our other guests! Bets are now _closed_! We have a special challenger tonight! She’s nimble! She’s quick! You can't escape her crazy kicks—iiiiiit’s Blondie!”

Yang blew kisses at the crowd. 

“Beauty, grace, and ready to punch you in the face! Blondie has it all! Tonight, she will be attempting to break the her own and the Pit’s record of three rounds! She will be taking on not only four, but _five_ rounds of combat tonight, folks!”

The crowd burst into cheers, and Blake had to flatten her ears at the noise.

“Rules of the Pit! No magic! No blades! Win by knockout or forfeit! For Blondie’s first round, she will be facing…the Monstah!”

A small figure leapt into the arena with a crash. If Yang was surprised to be facing a gnome, it didn't show. They greeted each other respectfully, then backed away after tapping fists.

Blake tuned out the commentary—she couldn't let herself get distracted—and glanced at Junior’s office again. It was still unlit and well guarded. She resigned herself to scoping out the crowd once more—it wouldn't be the first time she encountered a foe in disguise.

A half dozen pockets later, Blake allowed herself to look at the fighting pit. The gnome had taken an interesting tactic—she had climbed onto Yang’s back and tried to choke her out.

Blake winced in sympathy when Yang allowed herself to fall backward, knocking the wind out of her opponent. She quickly reversed their positions and pinned the smaller figure easily.

“Round one goes to Blondie!”

The next few rounds were uneventful. Blake had checked the crowd over and couldn't find anything interesting. She had caught glimpses of Yang’s fights: a brawny half-orc, Junior’s twin guards—was that cheating?, and most recently, a rather large goliath.

“—another knockout for Blondie!”

Blake watched the gnome from earlier rush out to drag the goliath out of the arena—Blake had a double take when she realized the gnome was hoisting the goliath _unassisted_. She turned her attention back to the pit, where Yang was resting before her next round.

Yang wasn’t completely beat up, but Blake winced at the dark bruises already blooming along Yang’s torso. Still, Blake was impressed that Yang’s wide grin remained untouched by combat. If not for the bruises, Blake wouldn’t be able to tell she’d even been fighting without careful examination.

However, Yang _did_ have bruises all over, and Blake was definitely examining her body—for medical reasons, of course. Yang’s shallow breathing was a telltale sign of injured ribs. Blake noticed Yang _just barely_ favoring one leg—not enough to be a limp, but it could be enough to take her down with another bout to go.

Blake _deeply_ regretted telling Ruby she’d keep Yang out of trouble. In hindsight, it was a terrible promise, but Blake could at least _try_ to keep Ruby’s sister alive. A well placed distraction in the crowd could give her enough cover to pull Yang out of the arena entirely. If she made it flashy enough, she could probably distract Junior's men as well. 

Blake was sorely tempted to torch a vulgar drawing onto Junior's office—effective _and_ entertaining.

Blake’s scheming was interrupted by an echoing shriek. The crowd had rushed in front of her and packed themselves too tightly for her to get through. Another piercing screech sent Blake into a panic, and she ended up running away from the arena to find a vantage point in the large cavern.

Blake ignored the guards—who either didn't notice or care about her—and starting climbing the cavern wall towards a small ledge. She flipped and drew her weapon as she cleared the cliff edge, ready to strike at whatever threat had appeared.

How the _hell_ did they get an _owlbear_ down here?!

Blake stared, dumbfounded, as Yang darted around the arena to flank the owlbear. The brawler showed no signs of her earlier fatigue as she bobbed and weaved to avoid the creature’s beak. The owlbear rocked back onto its hind legs and shrieked in frustration. Blake gasped and prepared to intervene as she watched the creature charge towards Yang. 

Instead of dodging, Yang rushed forward, dipping underneath the creature's beak to tackle it to the ground. Just as Blake determined the best method of pulling Yang out of the fight, Yang unleashed a flurry of strikes to the side of the creature’s head. The owlbear thrashed in place, forcing Yang to disengage. It slowly rose as Yang edged away, but stumbled to find its footing. 

Both the creature and Yang were unsteady on their feet. Yang was sporting a fresh bruises along her arms and an ugly gash along her torso—Blake’s temper rose as she realized the owlbear’s beak wasn’t a “blade”, but she supposed she could use similar logic for the “interview” he had coming. Blake armed her slingshot—nothing like a good stink bomb to clear a room—and searched the room for Junior. She didn't want him to get away in the impending chaos, after all.

Fortunately for Junior, Blake turned her attention back towards the fight upon hearing raucous cheering—just in time to catch the end of Yang’s kick combo to the owlbear’s head. The creature fell to the ground with a resounding thump—conscious, but too weak to get up. Once Yang confirmed her last opponent was down for the fight, she raised her arms in victory, circling the arena to face the entire audience. Blake tucked her things away and watched as Yang continued celebrating.

“Blondie wins her final bout with a knockout! Our reigning champion extends her hold of the Pit’s record for number of victorious rounds!”

Out of the corner of her eye, Blake noticed an increase in guard activity by Junior’s office. Junior sourly exited his office, towards the arena exit. His escape was blocked when a snarling panther landed in front of him.

Blake dodged the incoming strikes from his guards and tackled Junior to the ground. She managed to pin him underneath her forepaws, and held her open jaw around his throat when his guards attempted to approach. 

“Going somewhere, Junior?” Yang called out.

The body underneath Blake flinched, then stilled when she snarled. She turned her head away from Junior’s neck to look at Yang.

“Bringing me presents, kitty-cat?” Yang smiled as she casually pushed past Junior’s guards, “Much nicer than a dead bird.”

Blake growled with annoyance and turned back to intimidating Junior.

“Get this thing off me!” Junior grumbled.

“I dunno, Junior. She looks pretty comfortable,” Blake shifted and sat on his chest, “Aw, see! If you want my friend to leave her comfy seat, get your guards out of here.”

Junior scowled, “Go deal with the audience.”

Junior’s men glanced at each other uneasily, then headed over to the arena. Once the three were left alone, Blake stepped off of Junior towards Yang and brushed against her leg.

“Now, I think we have _quite_ a few things to discuss,” Yang folded her arms.

* * *

Yang leaned back in her seat, waiting for Blake to join her. She had “dismissed” the panther earlier and allowed it to slip into the shadows. Junior seemed too relieved to have Blake gone to really care about how an enormous panther appeared in the cavern. 

“Here, your cut for tonight,” Junior tossed a sack of coins onto his desk, “Are we done?”

“Not quite,” Blake slipped into the room, “We want information.”

Junior looked at the doorway and huffed, “Of course.”

“What do you know about a rogue mage group?”

“I don’t deal with mages.”

“That’s _not_ an answer,” Blake glared at Junior.

“Well, that’s all you’re getting from me!” Junior slammed his hands on his desk, “You’ve been nothing but a pain in the ass, Blondie, and you’re not worth the effort at this point. I gave you your coin, now get the fuck out!”

“Don't give me that! You know _everything_ that goes on around here, that's _what you do_!” Yang pulled him in by the collar, “And _don't_ forget who you're dealing with.”

Junior swore under his breath and put his hands up, “Alright, _alright_! Put me down.”

Yang didn’t move.

“Look, there’s really not much to say anyways,” Junior sighed, “I really _don’t_ mess around with mages—too dangerous. The only thing I know is that a bunch of kids have gone missing.”

Yang released Junior, letting him fall into his seat, “Kids?”

“University students. Not a lot, mind you—just a kid every couple of months or so.”

“And no one has noticed?” Blake raised an eyebrow, “Or even cared to investigate?”

“The kind of kids who disappear aren’t really missed. Most people just figure they quit and left,” Junior leaned back in his seat, “Honestly, the only reason I even noticed is because I’ve heard something similar is happening in other places too.”

“People going missing?” Yang asked.

“Not people—just magic users,” Junior scoffed, “Not great ones either.”

“Anything else?” Blake continued glaring at Junior.

“I told you, I don’t poke around with mages. Magic just brings trouble,” Junior turned to look at Yang, “And I _hate_ trouble.”

“Well then, you’d best give me two of your best rooms tonight,” Yang said, “If you want to avoid more trouble.”

* * *

“Ruby! Wait! Where are we going?”

“Just keep running with me!” Ruby continued dragging Weiss by the arm, “We’re close!”

“Close to _what_?”

“To _Yang_!”

“How do you know tha—oof!”

Weiss slammed into Ruby’s shoulder as the younger woman came to a sudden stop.

“Sorry Weiss! We’re here!” Ruby chirped.

Weiss rubbed her forehead with a grimace and looked past Ruby. They were standing outside a rather dingy looking tavern—the one from this morning, if she recalled correctly.

“Did you _have_ to drag me the whole way?” Weiss huffed, “If you just wanted to come back to this tavern I knew the way back.”

“What? I was just going towards Yang,” Ruby looked around, “Oh. I guess it makes sense that she’s here. Let’s go!”

Weiss jerked her arm away before Ruby could grab her wrist, “I do _not_ appreciate being pulled along like a rag doll.”

“Doesn’t stop you from pulling _me_ around,” Ruby grumbled quietly. She followed Weiss, who had ignored her comment and continued towards the tavern entrance.

Weiss eyed the door with disdain, then wiggled a finger to push it open telekinetically. After Ruby followed her in, she shut the door in a similar manner.

“Was that necessary?”

“That door looked _filthy_ , Ruby,” Weiss snipped, “Judging by the clientele, I wouldn’t rule it out as a vector for disease.”

Ruby rolled her eyes, “Alright, sure. Let’s go find Yang.”

Ruby walked up to the bar. While the tavern itself wasn’t very crowded, there were a fair amount of guests sitting right at the bar, nursing their mugs of ale.

“—can’t believe that chick punched out that thing!”

“Shame she’s all beat up. I bet she’d make a _lot_ more coin using tits instead of her fists,” a burly drunkard guffawed, “Junior such a lucky bastard—he’s already got those twins, doesn’t he?”

Ruby shoved past the gossiping men and rapped her knuckles on the counter to get the bartender’s attention, “Hey, you! Where’s my sister?”

The men Ruby had shoved aside snarled at the small woman, but were held in place just as they started lunging. Weiss rolled her eyes—Ruby didn’t even notice they were there.

“Who?” the bartender didn’t look up from his glass, “Lots of people come and go in here girlie. If you’re not going to buy anything, get out.”

Ruby pulled out her staff and whipped it to just under the bartender’s chin, “Where. Is. My. Sister?”

The tavern went quiet. A few other guests stood and turned to face the commotion—some started reaching under their cloaks. Weiss could tell Ruby was too focused on the bartender to notice them, and started planning on how to deal with a bar full of angry men.

“Hey! Look! I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the bartender spoke hastily, “Honest!”

“Nope!” Ruby pulled the staff back and whacked the man on the chest, “I _know_ she’s here. Try again!”

“Ruby!” Weiss hissed, “You’re causing a scene!”

Ruby absentmindedly waved an arm back at Weiss, “You’ve got those guys, right?”

“I—!…probably? That’s not the point!”

“I trust you,” Weiss definitely did _not_ flush at Ruby’s words, “I’m just going to poke this guy until he stops lying.” Ruby punctuated her statement with a poke to the bartender’s ribs.

The bartender backed away from Ruby, “L-look! I’m just a bartender, I don’t know—”

He was cut off as the door behind the bar slammed into him, “—should clean up before the short stacks get back, right?”

“Yang!” “I’m not short!”

Yang turned towards the sound and opened her arms wide, “Rubydoobie! Ice Princess!”

“Yang! Why are you—did you get into another fight?!” Ruby scolded her sister, “Blake! What did she do? Why didn’t you stop her?”

Blake shrugged, “I tried.”

“What the fuck?” Junior called from the doorway, “Jimmy, I don’t pay you to sleep!”

The bartender scrambled to his feet and started babbling, “Boss, there’s this girl with a stick and—”

“Shut it. Give Blondie two room keys,” Junior huffed, “And get out, I’m on the bar now. Go clean the dishes once you’re done with the keys.”

The man quickly fetched a pair of keys from behind the bar and handed them to Yang on his way to the kitchen. The rest of the room settled down once they noticed Junior return.

“Blondie?” Weiss questioned, “That’s rather derogative, isn’t it?”

“Long story, just let me clean up and we can get some grub,” Yang replied, “I’ll be waiting for food in my room, Junior.”

Weiss was almost impressed at how much Junior shrunk under Yang’s gaze.

* * *

Blake and Weiss checked one of the rooms for surveillance while Yang cleaned herself up outside. Yang returned just as they finished their sweep. Although most of the dirt and grime had been rinsed off, the brawler was still covered in quite a few bruises and cuts. Ruby gave her sister a quick hug before tending to her wounds.

“I hope your day wasn’t quite as exciting as ours,” Blake said.

“Duh, they were just staring at books all day! Ow!” Yang grimaced when Ruby “gently” wiped at one of her cuts.

“Our day was…relatively informative,” Weiss said, “We don’t have any solid leads, really, but the local history expert pointed us in a general direction.”

“Oh?”

“Some sort of legend or myth,” Weiss waved her hand dismissively, “I don’t really think it’s that relevant, but it’s better than nothing.”

“We found out that mages are going missing!” Yang interjected, “But I guess that also doesn’t really help us.” She slumped and pouted.

“Well, I also got Junior’s ledger,” Blake added, “So it wasn’t completely fruitless on our end. Though I suppose I already did that before you decided to fight an owlbear.”

“What?—’ow! Ruby!’—What do you _mean_ she fought an owlbear?” Ruby turned to look at Yang, “Why are you fighting owlbears!?”

“Look, it’s not important!” Yang protested, “I thought it would help Blake get more info. What’s this about a myth, anyways?”

Ruby frowned, “Don’t change the subject!”

Weiss intervened before the sibling bickering got out of hand, “Ruby, you two can talk later in your room. I want to discuss what we’ve learned so we can go to bed.”

Weiss repeated Oobleck’s tale to Blake and Yang while Ruby silently finished bandaging Yang’s stomach wound.

“This Oobleck guy got oddly specific,” Yang said.

“It might just be his field of study—did you manage to pull any other texts on the topic?” Blake added.

“No, we took a break after our conversation with Master Oobleck,” Weiss replied, “And we have yet to return to the campus because _someone_ dragged me halfway across the capital.”

“Hey! Yang was hurt,” Ruby pouted, “I didn’t know if she was okay or not!”

Weiss paused, then nodded, “Yes. So we have yet to return since you injured yourself grievously enough to alarm Ruby.”

Yang grinned, “Didn’t realize you’re get so _icy_ over your little date being ruined.”

Weiss opened her mouth to protest, but fell silent. She pointed her her finger at Yang, then lowered it before huffing, “I’m going to bed!”

Yang laughed as Weiss stomped out of the room, “Should I send Ruby to join you?”

A crystal hurtled at Yang’s head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TL;DR:  
> Life happened, but I'm still steadily working on BtL!
> 
> Unfortunately, I have now started school. I don't have a regular update schedule, but rest assured that I'm still writing when I have time!


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